What is Matter?--The law of Universal Attraction states that “Every particle of matter attracts every other particle,” etc., and the question at once arises as to what is meant by the term Matter, what are its properties and its constitution? Tait, in his Natural Philosophy, gives the following as the definition: “Matter is that which can be perceived by the senses, or is that which can be acted upon by, or can exert force.”
The common idea that matter can only be that which can be seen or actually felt, is not large enough for a definition of Matter. There are numbers of things in Nature which cannot either be seen or felt, yet which are included in the term Matter. Let us take one or two examples. Every one admits that nitrogen and oxygen are matter, yet I venture to say that no one has actually seen or felt either of these gases. Both of these gases are colourless and invisible, and are both tasteless. You may open your mouth and inspire both gases, and yet if they are pure, you cannot taste either of them. They are only matter, in the sense that they appeal to our sense of force through the motion which they may acquire.
Or again, take air, which is a mechanical mixture of several gases. Can you see air? If it be free from vapour and smoke, air is invisible, and on a clear day you may look for miles across the sea, or from the top of a mountain, and yet not have your sight impeded in any way by the atmosphere. Neither can it be felt by the sense of touch. Open and shut[41] your hand, and see if you can feel the air while you do so. In similar ways it may be demonstrated that the air is tasteless. So that it is not necessary for us to see, or feel, or taste, or even smell that which we term Matter, in order for it to be included in that term. So long as that which we term Matter is able to accept motion in any manner from any body that is either moving, or in a state of vibration, and not only accepts, but also transmits the vibratory, or the kinetic motion so called of the moving body, then that which accepts the motion is legitimately termed Matter.
duminică, 12 iunie 2011
THE ORIGIN OF PRECIOUS STONES
Though the origin, formation, composition, characteristics and tests of each stone will be examined in detail when dealing with the stones seriatim, it is necessary to enquire into those particulars of origin which are common to all, in order thoroughly to understand why they differ from other non-metallic and metallic minerals.
At the very commencement we are faced with a subject on which mineralogists and geologists are by no means in full agreement, and there seems just ground for considerable divergence of opinion, according to the line of argument taken. It is a most remarkable fact that, precious as are certain stones, they do not (with a few exceptions) contain any of the rarer metals, such as platinum, gold, etc., or any of their compounds, but are composed entirely of the common elements and their derivatives, especially of those elements contained in the upper crust of the earth, and this notwithstanding the fact that gems are often found deep down in the earth. This is very significant, and points to the conclusion that these stones were formed by the slow percolation of water from the surface through the deeper parts of the earth, carrying with it, in solution or suspension, the chemical constituents of the earth's upper crust; time and long-continued pressure, combined with heat or cold, or perhaps both in turn, doing the rest, as already mentioned.
The moisture falling in dew and rain becomes acidulated with carbonic acid, CO2 (carbon dioxide), from the combustion and decay of organic matter, vegetation, and other sources, and this moisture is capable of dissolving certain calcareous substances, which it takes deep into the earth, till the time comes when it enters perhaps a division-plane in some rock, or some such cavity, and is unable to get away. The hollow becomes filled with water, which is slowly more and more charged with the salts brought down, till saturated; then super-saturated, so that the salts become precipitated, or perhaps crystallised out, maybe by the presence of more or other salts, or by a change in temperature. These crystals then become packed hard by further supplies and pressure, till eventually, after the lapse of ages, a natural gem is found, exactly filling the cavity, and is a precious find in many cases.
At the very commencement we are faced with a subject on which mineralogists and geologists are by no means in full agreement, and there seems just ground for considerable divergence of opinion, according to the line of argument taken. It is a most remarkable fact that, precious as are certain stones, they do not (with a few exceptions) contain any of the rarer metals, such as platinum, gold, etc., or any of their compounds, but are composed entirely of the common elements and their derivatives, especially of those elements contained in the upper crust of the earth, and this notwithstanding the fact that gems are often found deep down in the earth. This is very significant, and points to the conclusion that these stones were formed by the slow percolation of water from the surface through the deeper parts of the earth, carrying with it, in solution or suspension, the chemical constituents of the earth's upper crust; time and long-continued pressure, combined with heat or cold, or perhaps both in turn, doing the rest, as already mentioned.
The moisture falling in dew and rain becomes acidulated with carbonic acid, CO2 (carbon dioxide), from the combustion and decay of organic matter, vegetation, and other sources, and this moisture is capable of dissolving certain calcareous substances, which it takes deep into the earth, till the time comes when it enters perhaps a division-plane in some rock, or some such cavity, and is unable to get away. The hollow becomes filled with water, which is slowly more and more charged with the salts brought down, till saturated; then super-saturated, so that the salts become precipitated, or perhaps crystallised out, maybe by the presence of more or other salts, or by a change in temperature. These crystals then become packed hard by further supplies and pressure, till eventually, after the lapse of ages, a natural gem is found, exactly filling the cavity, and is a precious find in many cases.
THE RURAL MOTOR EXPRESS.
The transportation burden on the railroads and highways of the country has been tremendously increased by the war. There is a larger load to be carried, of manufactured goods, raw materials, and foodstuffs. Not only has production of manufactures, raw materials, and farm products increased, but it is now necessary to transport a much larger proportion of these goods over long distances.
The burden is further increased by the fact that we have removed across the sea, 3,000 miles away, a considerable part of our population, which must be provisioned and maintained. These men were in our Army camps last winter. This year there are other men in these camps, and we must handle goods and foodstuffs not only to these 30 new cities but to a great population 3,000 miles away.
It is absolutely necessary to utilize our facilities to the maximum and to extend the use of the highways by the more efficient use of motor vehicles which can operate independent of fixed lines or terminals where congestion of traffic is likely to occur. The motor truck can help the railroad by reducing the short-haul load, and also act as a feeder line in sections far removed from market.
Added to the increased loads of goods to be transported is the fact that man power must be conserved. Heretofore the farmer has done his own hauling to market, but adoption of the rural motor express will enable him to delegate his hauling and to devote his own time to farm operations. An enormous waste of time and labor of both men and teams can be prevented by consolidating the small loads from a number of farms into a single load to be carried by a motor truck.
The burden is further increased by the fact that we have removed across the sea, 3,000 miles away, a considerable part of our population, which must be provisioned and maintained. These men were in our Army camps last winter. This year there are other men in these camps, and we must handle goods and foodstuffs not only to these 30 new cities but to a great population 3,000 miles away.
It is absolutely necessary to utilize our facilities to the maximum and to extend the use of the highways by the more efficient use of motor vehicles which can operate independent of fixed lines or terminals where congestion of traffic is likely to occur. The motor truck can help the railroad by reducing the short-haul load, and also act as a feeder line in sections far removed from market.
Added to the increased loads of goods to be transported is the fact that man power must be conserved. Heretofore the farmer has done his own hauling to market, but adoption of the rural motor express will enable him to delegate his hauling and to devote his own time to farm operations. An enormous waste of time and labor of both men and teams can be prevented by consolidating the small loads from a number of farms into a single load to be carried by a motor truck.
YANKEE VIKINGS AND NEW TRADE ROUTES
Soon after the Revolution the spirit of commercial exploration began to stir in other ports than Salem. Out from New York sailed the ship Empress of China in 1784 for the first direct voyage to Canton, to make the acquaintance of a vast nation absolutely unknown to the people of the United States, nor had one in a million of the industrious and highly civilized Chinese ever so much as heard the name of the little community of barbarians who dwelt on the western shore of the North Atlantic. The oriental dignitaries in their silken robes graciously welcomed the foreign ship with the strange flag and showed a lively interest in the map spread upon the cabin table, offering every facility to promote this new market for their silks and teas. After an absence of fifteen months the Empress of China returned to her home port and her pilgrimage aroused so much attention that the report of the supercargo, Samuel Shaw, was read in Congress.
Surpassing this achievement was that of Captain Stewart Dean, who very shortly afterward had his fling at the China trade in an eighty-ton sloop built at Albany. He was a stout-hearted old privateersman of the Revolution whom nothing could dismay, and in this tiny Experiment of his he won merited fame as one of the American pioneers of blue water. Fifteen men and boys sailed with him, drilled and disciplined as if the sloop were a frigate, and when the Experiment hauled into the stream, of Battery Park, New York, "martial music and the boatswain's whistle were heard on board with all the pomp and circumstance of war." Typhoons and Malay proas, Chinese pirates and unknown shoals, had no terrors for Stewart Dean. He saw Canton for himself, found a cargo, and drove home again in a four months' passage, which was better than many a clipper could do at a much later day. Smallest and bravest of the first Yankee East Indiamen, this taut sloop, with the boatswain's pipe trilling cheerily and all hands ready with cutlases and pikes to repel boarders, was by no means the least important vessel that ever passed in by Sandy Hook.
In the beginnings of this picturesque relation with the Far East, Boston lagged behind Salem, but her merchants, too, awoke to the opportunity and so successfully that for generations there were no more conspicuous names and shipping-houses in the China trade than those of Russell, Perkins, and Forbes. The first attempt was very ambitious and rather luckless. The largest merchantman ever built at that time in the United States was launched at Quincy in 1789 to rival the towering ships of the British East India Company. This Massachusetts created a sensation. Her departure was a national event. She embodied the dreams of Captain Randall and of the Samuel Shaw who had gone as supercargo in the Empress of China. They formed a partnership and were able to find the necessary capital.
Surpassing this achievement was that of Captain Stewart Dean, who very shortly afterward had his fling at the China trade in an eighty-ton sloop built at Albany. He was a stout-hearted old privateersman of the Revolution whom nothing could dismay, and in this tiny Experiment of his he won merited fame as one of the American pioneers of blue water. Fifteen men and boys sailed with him, drilled and disciplined as if the sloop were a frigate, and when the Experiment hauled into the stream, of Battery Park, New York, "martial music and the boatswain's whistle were heard on board with all the pomp and circumstance of war." Typhoons and Malay proas, Chinese pirates and unknown shoals, had no terrors for Stewart Dean. He saw Canton for himself, found a cargo, and drove home again in a four months' passage, which was better than many a clipper could do at a much later day. Smallest and bravest of the first Yankee East Indiamen, this taut sloop, with the boatswain's pipe trilling cheerily and all hands ready with cutlases and pikes to repel boarders, was by no means the least important vessel that ever passed in by Sandy Hook.
In the beginnings of this picturesque relation with the Far East, Boston lagged behind Salem, but her merchants, too, awoke to the opportunity and so successfully that for generations there were no more conspicuous names and shipping-houses in the China trade than those of Russell, Perkins, and Forbes. The first attempt was very ambitious and rather luckless. The largest merchantman ever built at that time in the United States was launched at Quincy in 1789 to rival the towering ships of the British East India Company. This Massachusetts created a sensation. Her departure was a national event. She embodied the dreams of Captain Randall and of the Samuel Shaw who had gone as supercargo in the Empress of China. They formed a partnership and were able to find the necessary capital.
The Saver As A Voter
In the phrase, “protection of savers,” the word “protection” has a different meaning from that usually attributed to it in present-day political circles. Generally speaking, protection of the “little man” or of agriculture means protecting firms from competition on the market at the expense of consumers. Privileges to advance the special interests of particular groups at the expense of the entire population are recommended. Policies are proposed which must reduce total production.
Protection of savers and of savings involves something very different from this, namely, preservation of the very foundations of justice on which the capitalistic order of society is based and, consequently, of capitalism itself. The unprecedented increase in the standard of living of the masses in the capitalistic West is due to the fact that the formation of capital increased much more than the population. Real wages went up because the marginal productivity of capital goods went down in comparison with that of labor or, more popularly expressed, because the worker in a modern, wellequipped plant can produce many times more than can a worker with primitive tools.
Protection of savers and of savings involves something very different from this, namely, preservation of the very foundations of justice on which the capitalistic order of society is based and, consequently, of capitalism itself. The unprecedented increase in the standard of living of the masses in the capitalistic West is due to the fact that the formation of capital increased much more than the population. Real wages went up because the marginal productivity of capital goods went down in comparison with that of labor or, more popularly expressed, because the worker in a modern, wellequipped plant can produce many times more than can a worker with primitive tools.
The Doctrine of Interventionism
To prescientific thinkers, a human society built on private property in the means of production seemed to be naturally chaotic. It received its order, so they thought, only from imposed precepts of morality and law. Society can exist only if buyer and seller observe justice and fairness. Government must intervene in order to avoid the evil that flows from an arbitrary deviation from the "just price." This opinion prevailed in all remarks on social life until the eighteenth century. It appeared for the last time in all its naivetk in the
writings of the mercantilists.
The anticapitalist writers are emphasizing that classical economics served the "interests" of the "bourgeoisie,"
which allegedly explains its own success, and led the bourgeois class to its successes. Surely, no one can doubt that the freedom achieved by classical liberalism paved the way for the incredible development of productive forces during the last century. But it is a sad mistake to believe that by opposing intervention classical liberalism gained acceptance more easily. It faced the opposition of all those whom the feverish
activity of government granted protection, favors, and privileges.
Classical liberalism was victorious with economics and through it. No other economic ideology can be reconciled with the science of catallactics. During the 1820s and 1830s, an attempt was made in England to use economics for demonstrating that the capitalist order does not function satisfactorily,
and that it is unjust. From this Karl Marx then created his "scientific" socialism. But even if these writers
had succeeded in proving their case against capitalism, they would have had to prove further that another social order, like socialism, is better than capitalism. This they were not able to do; they could not even prove that a social order could actually be built on public property in the means of production. By merely rejecting and ostracizing any discussion of the problems of socialism as "utopian" they obviously
did not solve anything.
writings of the mercantilists.
The anticapitalist writers are emphasizing that classical economics served the "interests" of the "bourgeoisie,"
which allegedly explains its own success, and led the bourgeois class to its successes. Surely, no one can doubt that the freedom achieved by classical liberalism paved the way for the incredible development of productive forces during the last century. But it is a sad mistake to believe that by opposing intervention classical liberalism gained acceptance more easily. It faced the opposition of all those whom the feverish
activity of government granted protection, favors, and privileges.
Classical liberalism was victorious with economics and through it. No other economic ideology can be reconciled with the science of catallactics. During the 1820s and 1830s, an attempt was made in England to use economics for demonstrating that the capitalist order does not function satisfactorily,
and that it is unjust. From this Karl Marx then created his "scientific" socialism. But even if these writers
had succeeded in proving their case against capitalism, they would have had to prove further that another social order, like socialism, is better than capitalism. This they were not able to do; they could not even prove that a social order could actually be built on public property in the means of production. By merely rejecting and ostracizing any discussion of the problems of socialism as "utopian" they obviously
did not solve anything.
What’s Y our App’s Personality?
Your design choices—whether conservative or zany—give your app a personality. Just like people, apps are irresistible when their personalities are in tune with both audience and context. An efficient, just-the-facts design lends an air of confidence to a productivity app. Warm wood textures, meanwhile, give other apps an organic feeling that is both homey and luxurious. Don’t let your app’s personality emerge by accident. Before you start tinkering with color schemes, graphics, and navigation models, consider how you’d like people to perceive your app. Businesslike and authoritative? Comforting and familiar? Sunny and upbeat? Sleek and poised? Homespun and crafty? Gritty and edgy? Fun and toylike? Opulent and plush?
By choosing a personality for your app before you start crafting its visual identity, you give yourself a framework for making consistent decisions based on the emotional vibe you’re after. Don’t dismiss this as touchy-feely hokum: an emotional vibe is the basis for all marketing and storytelling, and make no mistake, your app is in fact a story. In the very personal context of the iPhone, people think about an app as content more than “software,” an experience more than a tool, and entertainment more than a task. Your app’s personality sets the mood of that experience and it has to suit its audience as well as the job at hand. When you marry the aesthetics of a thing to both its function and its owner, you get something that is beautiful, functional, and distinct. This feng shui alchemy evaporates when those elements go out of sync, so go carefully as you make your design decisions.
By choosing a personality for your app before you start crafting its visual identity, you give yourself a framework for making consistent decisions based on the emotional vibe you’re after. Don’t dismiss this as touchy-feely hokum: an emotional vibe is the basis for all marketing and storytelling, and make no mistake, your app is in fact a story. In the very personal context of the iPhone, people think about an app as content more than “software,” an experience more than a tool, and entertainment more than a task. Your app’s personality sets the mood of that experience and it has to suit its audience as well as the job at hand. When you marry the aesthetics of a thing to both its function and its owner, you get something that is beautiful, functional, and distinct. This feng shui alchemy evaporates when those elements go out of sync, so go carefully as you make your design decisions.
What Makes Your App Mobile?
As extraordinary as your app might be in features, content, and technical razzle dazzle, it’s only tapworthy if your users find it convenient, necessary, and easy to use in a mobile context. “Mobile” means on the go, of course, but in the iPhone context it’s helpful to think of its meaning more flexibly as “away from my desk.” Whether you’re on the peak of Kilimanjaro or just curled up on your couch, both are mobile contexts—each with their own opportunities and potential distractions. What mobile context are you designing for? Why would you use this app when you’re away from your desk or computer? Why is it especially convenient to have anytime-anywhere access to this app in your pocket?
Sometimes this is a no-brainer; some apps are naturally mobile because their whole purpose is to be used in the field. Take a gander at iBird Explorer Plus, a sprawling field-guide encyclopedia of birds and bird calls. It’s an app for bird watchers (who) to look up info and birdsongs (what) when peeping at their finefeathered friends in the wild (when and where) to identify a bird or attract one with a bird call (why). This is a niche audience, to be sure, but it’s also a natural mobile app whose value is undeniably tapworthy if you happen to be a birdwatcher in the brush. By wrapping your five W’s tightly around a mobile context, you’ve got the makings of a must-have app for your audience.
iBird is an example of an accessory, an app that augments an activity—a birdwatching expedition in this case—but accessories don’t have to be so explicitly mobile. Other iPhone accessories like a calculator, guitar tuner, or recipe collection are just as useful on your couch or in your kitchen. These, too, are mobile contexts—nontraditional computing environments— where you can craft a convincing set of five W’s for an app to extend and enhance another activity. No matter what the specific setting, consider how your app can take advantage of the size and portability of the iPhone to do something that desktop computers cannot.
Sometimes this is a no-brainer; some apps are naturally mobile because their whole purpose is to be used in the field. Take a gander at iBird Explorer Plus, a sprawling field-guide encyclopedia of birds and bird calls. It’s an app for bird watchers (who) to look up info and birdsongs (what) when peeping at their finefeathered friends in the wild (when and where) to identify a bird or attract one with a bird call (why). This is a niche audience, to be sure, but it’s also a natural mobile app whose value is undeniably tapworthy if you happen to be a birdwatcher in the brush. By wrapping your five W’s tightly around a mobile context, you’ve got the makings of a must-have app for your audience.
iBird is an example of an accessory, an app that augments an activity—a birdwatching expedition in this case—but accessories don’t have to be so explicitly mobile. Other iPhone accessories like a calculator, guitar tuner, or recipe collection are just as useful on your couch or in your kitchen. These, too, are mobile contexts—nontraditional computing environments— where you can craft a convincing set of five W’s for an app to extend and enhance another activity. No matter what the specific setting, consider how your app can take advantage of the size and portability of the iPhone to do something that desktop computers cannot.
The Mission of Search Engines
Search engines generate revenue primarily through paid advertising. The great majority of this revenue comes from a pay-per-click (or cost-per-click) model, in which the advertisers pay only for users who click on their ads.
Since web searchers are free to use any of the many available search engines on the Web to find what they are seeking, the burden is on the search engines to develop a relevant, fast, and resh search experience. For the most part, search engines accomplish this by being perceived as having the most relevant results and delivering them the fastest, as users will go to the search engine they think will get them the answers they want in the least amount of time.
As a result, search engines invest a tremendous amount of time, energy, and capital in improving their relevance. This includes performing extensive studies of user responses to their search results, comparing their results against those of other search engines, conducting eyetracking studies (discussed later in this chapter), and conducting PR and marketing campaigns.
Because the search engines’ success depends so greatly on the relevance of their search results, manipulations of search engine rankings that result in non-relevant results (generally referred to as spam) are dealt with very seriously. Each major search engine employs a team of people who focus solely on finding and eliminating spam from their search results. This matters to SEO practitioners because they need to be careful that the tactics they employ will not be seen as spam by the search engines and carry the risk of resulting in penalties for the websites they work on.
Since web searchers are free to use any of the many available search engines on the Web to find what they are seeking, the burden is on the search engines to develop a relevant, fast, and resh search experience. For the most part, search engines accomplish this by being perceived as having the most relevant results and delivering them the fastest, as users will go to the search engine they think will get them the answers they want in the least amount of time.
As a result, search engines invest a tremendous amount of time, energy, and capital in improving their relevance. This includes performing extensive studies of user responses to their search results, comparing their results against those of other search engines, conducting eyetracking studies (discussed later in this chapter), and conducting PR and marketing campaigns.
Because the search engines’ success depends so greatly on the relevance of their search results, manipulations of search engine rankings that result in non-relevant results (generally referred to as spam) are dealt with very seriously. Each major search engine employs a team of people who focus solely on finding and eliminating spam from their search results. This matters to SEO practitioners because they need to be careful that the tactics they employ will not be seen as spam by the search engines and carry the risk of resulting in penalties for the websites they work on.
“IVAN the Ripper”
In 1974, a decade after VLADIMIR IONOSYAN sparked a local panic with the “Mosgas” murders, residents of Moscow circulated rumors of another homicidal maniac at large. According to reports, the slayer was a fair-haired, handsome young man, armed with a cobbler’s bodkin or similar instrument, who trailed his female victims from the city’s ornate subway stations, stabbing them to death in nearby streets and alleys.
Manhunting is doubly difficult in a society that admits no crime problem, but Moscow police indirectly confirmed at least some of the reports. By October 19, extra police and militia patrols were at large, their activity officially explained as preparation for the annual celebration of the Bolshevik revolution on November 7. At the same time, posters bearing sketches of a suspect surfaced in the city’s 17 taxi garages, enlisting cab drivers as lookouts in the search.
By October 21, police confirmed that they were searching for the killer of “a woman.” Inside sources put the body count at seven, with the latest murder five days earlier. An eighth intended victim had survived her wounds, providing homicide investigators with the likeness reproduced in suspect sketches. Five days later, on October 26, authorities reported they were holding a suspect in a series of stabbings who had killed at least 11 Moscow women. The unnamed prisoner had been arrested on the evening of October 24, after three victims were slain in a period of 24 hours.
Police maintained their news blackout as the suspect was shuffled off for psychiatric evaluation, and the disposition of the case remains unknown, but this time he official silence backfired. On the streets, a population starved for solid news fell back on rumor, doubting that the slayer had been captured. “They caught one, but there is a second killer,” one woman confided to a Western journalist. “They still have not caught the main one.” “IVAN the Ripper”
Manhunting is doubly difficult in a society that admits no crime problem, but Moscow police indirectly confirmed at least some of the reports. By October 19, extra police and militia patrols were at large, their activity officially explained as preparation for the annual celebration of the Bolshevik revolution on November 7. At the same time, posters bearing sketches of a suspect surfaced in the city’s 17 taxi garages, enlisting cab drivers as lookouts in the search.
By October 21, police confirmed that they were searching for the killer of “a woman.” Inside sources put the body count at seven, with the latest murder five days earlier. An eighth intended victim had survived her wounds, providing homicide investigators with the likeness reproduced in suspect sketches. Five days later, on October 26, authorities reported they were holding a suspect in a series of stabbings who had killed at least 11 Moscow women. The unnamed prisoner had been arrested on the evening of October 24, after three victims were slain in a period of 24 hours.
Police maintained their news blackout as the suspect was shuffled off for psychiatric evaluation, and the disposition of the case remains unknown, but this time he official silence backfired. On the streets, a population starved for solid news fell back on rumor, doubting that the slayer had been captured. “They caught one, but there is a second killer,” one woman confided to a Western journalist. “They still have not caught the main one.” “IVAN the Ripper”
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 : Permissions
SharePoint permissions fundamentally define two things: who can see things and who can do things. Permissions can be applied at many different levels, but for ease of management, they are usually defined at the site level. Generally, groups are then used to control which users have rights to each site. This makes permissions for the most common collaboration scenarios relatively easy to manage.
Furthermore, many SharePoint sites, lists, and items are configured to use permissions inheritance. This means that many assets in SharePoint don’t have their own permissions applied—they inherit permissions from their parent. This is not only convenient, it is also a SharePoint best practice. While there may be plenty of reasons to define security at the site level, adding security at the list level—or even the item level—can make your permissions management so complicated that you don’t really know who has rights to what.
To modify the permissions on a site, go to Site Actions | Site Settings | Site Permissions to open the Permissions page .Although it is possible to assign permissions to SharePoint items, it is generally not considered to be a good idea. Once you start using permissions other than at the site level, it becomes vastly more difficult to manage and track the permissions of each user.
In SharePoint 2010, there is a new feature called Check Permissions that allows you to go to the settings of a list and quickly see what rights a particular user or group has to the library. To use the feature, go to the library ribbon and click Check Permissions .
After you enter the name of a user or group, the results will show the relevant rights and whether those rights have been granted directly or as a result of group membership .
Furthermore, many SharePoint sites, lists, and items are configured to use permissions inheritance. This means that many assets in SharePoint don’t have their own permissions applied—they inherit permissions from their parent. This is not only convenient, it is also a SharePoint best practice. While there may be plenty of reasons to define security at the site level, adding security at the list level—or even the item level—can make your permissions management so complicated that you don’t really know who has rights to what.
To modify the permissions on a site, go to Site Actions | Site Settings | Site Permissions to open the Permissions page .Although it is possible to assign permissions to SharePoint items, it is generally not considered to be a good idea. Once you start using permissions other than at the site level, it becomes vastly more difficult to manage and track the permissions of each user.
In SharePoint 2010, there is a new feature called Check Permissions that allows you to go to the settings of a list and quickly see what rights a particular user or group has to the library. To use the feature, go to the library ribbon and click Check Permissions .
After you enter the name of a user or group, the results will show the relevant rights and whether those rights have been granted directly or as a result of group membership .
Restore Your iPad’s Settings
Your iPad offers a way to revert to previous settings, so if you’ve made changes to the Home screen and want it to look as it did out of the box, you can reset Home screen icons. You may have also input network settings you’re unhappy with now, and you can reset those easily as well. You can also reset other things, like the Keyboard Dictionary, and even erase all content and all settings.
To reset any of the settings you’ve changed so far, and to reconfigure the settings to work like they did out of the box:
1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. At the bottom of the screen, tap Reset.
4. Tap the settings to change. Note that opting to erase all content and settings will remove all of the personal data you’ve added so far, and chances are you don’t want to do that.
5. Click Reset to apply the changes.
So when would you want to erase all of your personal data and settings? When you sell your iPad, of course! You can be sure that new models of iPads will be released, and you may want to trade up. That’s why the iPad offers the option of erasing all content and settings. The next model of the iPad may have a camera, a web cam, or a media card slot. Future models may also support Flash, have a paper-thin slide-out keyboard, or even offer a built-in app for Voice over IP (VOIP) for making Internet-based phone calls. Whatever happens, there will likely come a time when you want to sell your current model and purchase something better. Before you do, you’ll need to restore your iPad to its factory settings.
When you restore the iPad to factory settings, you make it appear brand new again, at least on the inside! After it’s restored, there will be no trace of your email accounts, messages, photos, videos, applications, iBooks, or anything else; it’s returned to the state it was in when you purchased it. You must do this before selling it to erase all of your personal data, and to make it easier for the next person to personalize.
To restore your iPad to factory settings:
1. Click Settings.
2. Click General.
3. At the bottom of the right pane, click Reset.
4. To reset your iPad to factory settings, tap Erase All Content and Settings.
5. Click Erase to verify.
To reset any of the settings you’ve changed so far, and to reconfigure the settings to work like they did out of the box:
1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. At the bottom of the screen, tap Reset.
4. Tap the settings to change. Note that opting to erase all content and settings will remove all of the personal data you’ve added so far, and chances are you don’t want to do that.
5. Click Reset to apply the changes.
So when would you want to erase all of your personal data and settings? When you sell your iPad, of course! You can be sure that new models of iPads will be released, and you may want to trade up. That’s why the iPad offers the option of erasing all content and settings. The next model of the iPad may have a camera, a web cam, or a media card slot. Future models may also support Flash, have a paper-thin slide-out keyboard, or even offer a built-in app for Voice over IP (VOIP) for making Internet-based phone calls. Whatever happens, there will likely come a time when you want to sell your current model and purchase something better. Before you do, you’ll need to restore your iPad to its factory settings.
When you restore the iPad to factory settings, you make it appear brand new again, at least on the inside! After it’s restored, there will be no trace of your email accounts, messages, photos, videos, applications, iBooks, or anything else; it’s returned to the state it was in when you purchased it. You must do this before selling it to erase all of your personal data, and to make it easier for the next person to personalize.
To restore your iPad to factory settings:
1. Click Settings.
2. Click General.
3. At the bottom of the right pane, click Reset.
4. To reset your iPad to factory settings, tap Erase All Content and Settings.
5. Click Erase to verify.
Using ADSI
"When will Microsoft ship an Active Directory provider (or cmdlets)?" is a frequently asked question. There's no direct support for working with Active Directory in either PowerShell vl or v2.
WINDOWS SERVER 2008 R2 PowerShell cmdlets for Active Directory are available in Windows Server 2008 R2, along with a huge raft of other PowerShell functionality. PowerShell v2 is installed and enabled by default.
Automating Active Directory is one of the major areas of scripting, judging by the number of scripts available and die questions being asked on newsgroups. So we have a declared need to automate Active Directory work and a new shell that doesn't directly support working with Active Directory what are we going to do? NOTE The discussion in this section is focused on Active Directory, but the same technologies and interfaces are used to access local user and group accounts, as well as work with Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (ADLDS, formerly known as ADAM).
The COM-based interface ADSI has been used extensively in VBScript to work with Active Directory. As it's COM-based, we can work with it in PowerShell as we've seen. But there's also a .NET wrapper, System.DirectoryServices, that gives .NET access to ADSI. This situation is further complicated in that PowerShell has introduced a type accelerator for System. DirectoryServices called [ADSI] that provides yet another layer of wrapping.
There are third-party tools available for working with Active Detailed background information on ADSI can be found in the SDK
WINDOWS SERVER 2008 R2 PowerShell cmdlets for Active Directory are available in Windows Server 2008 R2, along with a huge raft of other PowerShell functionality. PowerShell v2 is installed and enabled by default.
Automating Active Directory is one of the major areas of scripting, judging by the number of scripts available and die questions being asked on newsgroups. So we have a declared need to automate Active Directory work and a new shell that doesn't directly support working with Active Directory what are we going to do? NOTE The discussion in this section is focused on Active Directory, but the same technologies and interfaces are used to access local user and group accounts, as well as work with Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (ADLDS, formerly known as ADAM).
The COM-based interface ADSI has been used extensively in VBScript to work with Active Directory. As it's COM-based, we can work with it in PowerShell as we've seen. But there's also a .NET wrapper, System.DirectoryServices, that gives .NET access to ADSI. This situation is further complicated in that PowerShell has introduced a type accelerator for System. DirectoryServices called [ADSI] that provides yet another layer of wrapping.
There are third-party tools available for working with Active Detailed background information on ADSI can be found in the SDK
Using .NET
It's necessary to use .NET code to access certain functionality, but most of what you'll be doing is using tire PowerShell language. .NET enters tire picture because you need to load extra bits and create new objects.
The .NET Framework or just .NET (there are differences but we don't need to worry about drem) is tire way to create applications in the modern Microsoft environment. Microsoft made .NET available in 2002, and new versions have appeared on a regular basis since then. Each new version of .NET tends to be a superset of tire previous version, in that new functionality is added but tire old functionality remains more
or less intact.
.NET VERSIONS PowerShell vl needs .NET 2.0. PowerShell v2 needs .NET 2.0 apart from some features that require .NET 3.5 SP1. Unless you need multiple versions of .NET loaded, j u s t load .NET 3.5 SP 1, as it also contains .NET 2.0. PowerShell is based on .NET, and as we've seen, one of tire major features is that
PowerShell cmdlets output .NET objects rather than text we're used to in more traditional shells. These .NET objects are passed along tire pipeline so they can be used by other cmdlets.
As with any piece of technology, there's a set of terminology we need to master. So we'll start by looking at the terms used when talking about .NET and explain them from an administrator's viewpoint. This is definitely .NET for administrators rather than a full explanation of .NET.
It's possible to access some .NET functionality, such as tire Math functions, directly from PowerShell, not everything is immediately available. We'll learn how to load additional .NET functionality, such as SMO or tire IIS interface, into PowerShell and how to work with it. Our old friend Get-Member will be useful when we start to investigate working with .NET. First, we need to know what we're talking about, so we'll look at .NET terminology.
The .NET Framework or just .NET (there are differences but we don't need to worry about drem) is tire way to create applications in the modern Microsoft environment. Microsoft made .NET available in 2002, and new versions have appeared on a regular basis since then. Each new version of .NET tends to be a superset of tire previous version, in that new functionality is added but tire old functionality remains more
or less intact.
.NET VERSIONS PowerShell vl needs .NET 2.0. PowerShell v2 needs .NET 2.0 apart from some features that require .NET 3.5 SP1. Unless you need multiple versions of .NET loaded, j u s t load .NET 3.5 SP 1, as it also contains .NET 2.0. PowerShell is based on .NET, and as we've seen, one of tire major features is that
PowerShell cmdlets output .NET objects rather than text we're used to in more traditional shells. These .NET objects are passed along tire pipeline so they can be used by other cmdlets.
As with any piece of technology, there's a set of terminology we need to master. So we'll start by looking at the terms used when talking about .NET and explain them from an administrator's viewpoint. This is definitely .NET for administrators rather than a full explanation of .NET.
It's possible to access some .NET functionality, such as tire Math functions, directly from PowerShell, not everything is immediately available. We'll learn how to load additional .NET functionality, such as SMO or tire IIS interface, into PowerShell and how to work with it. Our old friend Get-Member will be useful when we start to investigate working with .NET. First, we need to know what we're talking about, so we'll look at .NET terminology.
2 First Syntethic organism created
No one could accuse human genome pioneer J. Craig Venter of lacking chutzpah. In May 2010 he made good on another of his audacious goals, creating an artificial living cell by synthesizing the entire genome of
A few environmental watch dog groups voiced concern that artificial life might somehow escape the laboratory and become an invasive species or pose dangers as yet unforeseen, and President Obama asked the Presidential Commission for he Study of Bioethical Issues o explore the implications of Venter’s work.
Scientists have already synthesized the genomes of the poliovirus and the1918 influenza strain, and molecular biologist Anthony Forster of Vanderbilt Univer sity acknowledges that safety is always a concern. But with
proper safeguards in place, he believes that synthetic life can provide enormous benefits.
“The success brings us closer to altering genomes in a much more designed manner—for example, creating microbes that can help produce drugs or churn out biofuel,” he says.
Venter himself has declared these applications to be his primary commercial goals. In October he started a new company that will work with the pharmaceutical giant Novartis to create next-generation flu vaccines.
And Synthetic Genomics, the company he founded in2005 , aims to create fuel-producing microbes, including algae biofuels in a $300 million agreement with ExxonMobil
a bacterium and transplanting it into another. At a news conference, Venter hailed the new organism as “the first self-replicating species…on the planet whose parent is a computer.”
The breakthrough, which took 15 years and consumed $40 million, involved building the genome of Mycoplasma mycoides (a bacterium that infects goats) from chemicals in the laboratory and then tagging it with a gene that turns the organism blue. Venter’s team transplanted the fabricated genome into a closely related bacterium that had been stripped of its own DNA, and after many attempts to jump-start the combination, managed to create an organism that morphed, over the course of a single weekend, into a
blue bacterium that displayed all the characteristics of the implanted DNA.
The breakthrough, which took 15 years and consumed $40 million, involved building the genome of Mycoplasma mycoides (a bacterium that infects goats) from chemicals in the laboratory and then tagging it with a gene that turns the organism blue. Venter’s team transplanted the fabricated genome into a closely related bacterium that had been stripped of its own DNA, and after many attempts to jump-start the combination, managed to create an organism that morphed, over the course of a single weekend, into a
blue bacterium that displayed all the characteristics of the implanted DNA.
A few environmental watch dog groups voiced concern that artificial life might somehow escape the laboratory and become an invasive species or pose dangers as yet unforeseen, and President Obama asked the Presidential Commission for he Study of Bioethical Issues o explore the implications of Venter’s work.
Scientists have already synthesized the genomes of the poliovirus and the1918 influenza strain, and molecular biologist Anthony Forster of Vanderbilt Univer sity acknowledges that safety is always a concern. But with
proper safeguards in place, he believes that synthetic life can provide enormous benefits.
“The success brings us closer to altering genomes in a much more designed manner—for example, creating microbes that can help produce drugs or churn out biofuel,” he says.
Venter himself has declared these applications to be his primary commercial goals. In October he started a new company that will work with the pharmaceutical giant Novartis to create next-generation flu vaccines.
And Synthetic Genomics, the company he founded in2005 , aims to create fuel-producing microbes, including algae biofuels in a $300 million agreement with ExxonMobil
Networking Standards Organizations
Standards are documented agreements containing technical specifications or other precise criteria that stipulate how a particular product or service should be designed or performed. Many different industries use standards to ensure that products, processes, and services suit their purposes. Because of the wide variety of hardware and software in use today, standards are especially important in the world of networking. Without standards, it would be very difficult to design a network because you could not be certain that software or hardware from different manufacturers would work together. For example, if one manufacturer designed a
network cable with a 1-centimeter-wide plug and another company manufactured a wall plate with a 0.8-centimeter-wide opening, you would not be able to insert the plug into the wall plate.
When purchasing networking equipment, therefore, you want to verify that equipment meets the standards your network requires. However, bear in mind that standards define the minimum acceptable performance of a product or service—not the ideal. So, for example, you might purchase two different network cables that comply with the minimum standard for transmitting at a certain speed, but one cable might exceed that standard, allowing for better network performance. In the case of network cables, exceeding minimum standards often follows from the use of quality materials and careful production techniques.
Because the computer industry grew so quickly out of several technical disciplines, many different organizations evolved to oversee its standards. In some cases, a few organizations are responsible for a single aspect of networking. For example, both ANSI and IEEE are involved in setting standards for wireless networks. Whereas ANSI prescribes the kind of NIC (network interface card) that the consumer needs to accept a wireless connection, IEEE prescribes, among other things, how the network will ensure that different parts of a communication sent through the atmosphere arrive at their destination in the correct sequence.
network cable with a 1-centimeter-wide plug and another company manufactured a wall plate with a 0.8-centimeter-wide opening, you would not be able to insert the plug into the wall plate.
When purchasing networking equipment, therefore, you want to verify that equipment meets the standards your network requires. However, bear in mind that standards define the minimum acceptable performance of a product or service—not the ideal. So, for example, you might purchase two different network cables that comply with the minimum standard for transmitting at a certain speed, but one cable might exceed that standard, allowing for better network performance. In the case of network cables, exceeding minimum standards often follows from the use of quality materials and careful production techniques.
Because the computer industry grew so quickly out of several technical disciplines, many different organizations evolved to oversee its standards. In some cases, a few organizations are responsible for a single aspect of networking. For example, both ANSI and IEEE are involved in setting standards for wireless networks. Whereas ANSI prescribes the kind of NIC (network interface card) that the consumer needs to accept a wireless connection, IEEE prescribes, among other things, how the network will ensure that different parts of a communication sent through the atmosphere arrive at their destination in the correct sequence.
vineri, 10 iunie 2011
From Oxford University: Lying between States
Sir Henry Wotton, the seventeenth-century British diplomat, once remarked that an ambassador is "an honest man sent to lie abroad for the good of his country.' This comment nicely captures the fact that states do lie to each other, because they think that lying serves the national interest. Wotton's remark, however, is misleading in the sense that it implies that diplomats and statesmen routinely spend their time lying to each other. In fact, political leaders and their diplomatic representatives tell each other the truth far more often than they lie. Even when they are bent on deceiving one another, they are more likely to rely on concealment rather than overt lying.
Secrecy, as virtually all students of international politics know well, is a time-honored approach to developing weapons and strategies that can give one country an advantage over its rivals.
Of course, one's definition of lying affects any assessment of how much lying there has been among states, or any other kind of lying, for that matter. Sissela Bok, for example, notes in her important treatise on lying that some people define the concept of lying so broadly that they "take all forms of deception to be lies, regardless of whether or not they involve statements of any kind." When this expansive definition is employed, people can then say that lying is rampant in daily life, and "that the average person lies ten, twenty, a hundred times a day."
If applied to international politics, this definition of lying would include spinning and concealment, as well as consciously telling a deliberate untruth, and one could therefore say that inter-state lying was commonplace. But if one defines lying more narrowly, as Bok and I do, it is not nearly as widespread, although it is surely not unknown. I believe a narrower definition makes more sense, because it allows us to discriminate between different forms of deception and to theorize about when and why each may be employed.
Secrecy, as virtually all students of international politics know well, is a time-honored approach to developing weapons and strategies that can give one country an advantage over its rivals.
Of course, one's definition of lying affects any assessment of how much lying there has been among states, or any other kind of lying, for that matter. Sissela Bok, for example, notes in her important treatise on lying that some people define the concept of lying so broadly that they "take all forms of deception to be lies, regardless of whether or not they involve statements of any kind." When this expansive definition is employed, people can then say that lying is rampant in daily life, and "that the average person lies ten, twenty, a hundred times a day."
If applied to international politics, this definition of lying would include spinning and concealment, as well as consciously telling a deliberate untruth, and one could therefore say that inter-state lying was commonplace. But if one defines lying more narrowly, as Bok and I do, it is not nearly as widespread, although it is surely not unknown. I believe a narrower definition makes more sense, because it allows us to discriminate between different forms of deception and to theorize about when and why each may be employed.
Windows 7 Product Editions: Only a Little Bit Simpler
As with Windows Vista, Windows 7 will ship in many different product editions. On the surface, this seems confusing—just as confusing, in fact, as the Vista product line. But this time, Microsoft made a few commonsense changes to the product lineup that should make things easier on most people. So assume the Lotus position, breathe deeply, and relax. It’s not as bad as it sounds. For starters, though there are, in fact, almost as many Windows 7 product editions as there were for Windows Vista, most individuals will only need to consider a handful of commonsense product editions. And with Windows 7, unlike with Vista, these product editions are all true supersets of each other, so there are no overlapping feature sets, as there were with some of the Vista product editions. That’s good news, both for those migrating to Windows 7 and for those Windows 7 users who think they might want a more powerful product edition.
Consider a typical issue with the Windows Vista product editions. In that version of Windows, the Windows Vista Business edition didn’t include Windows Media Center, a fun digital media application that was part of the Home Premium product. But business users enjoy digital media too, especially when traveling, and they told Microsoft that this division in the feature set didn’t make sense. Okay, here’s what Microsoft is offering with Windows 7:
Windows 7 Home Basic (developing markets only)
Windows 7 Starter
Windows 7 Starter x64
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Home Premium (x64)
Windows 7 Home Premium N (European Union only)
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Professional (x64)
Windows 7 Enterprise
Windows 7 Enterprise (x64)
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows 7 Ultimate (x64)
See the big change? That’s right: the Starter and Home Basic versions have switched places this time around. In Windows Vista, Starter edition was aimed at developing markets only and wasn’t available to mainstream Windows customers, while Home Basic was broadly available worldwide on budget PCs. In Windows 7, this is no longer the case. Now, Windows 7 Home Basic is made available only with new PC purchases in emerging markets, while Windows 7 Starter will be sold worldwide, primarily on netbooks and other very low end, budget PCs.
Consider a typical issue with the Windows Vista product editions. In that version of Windows, the Windows Vista Business edition didn’t include Windows Media Center, a fun digital media application that was part of the Home Premium product. But business users enjoy digital media too, especially when traveling, and they told Microsoft that this division in the feature set didn’t make sense. Okay, here’s what Microsoft is offering with Windows 7:
Windows 7 Home Basic (developing markets only)
Windows 7 Starter
Windows 7 Starter x64
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Home Premium (x64)
Windows 7 Home Premium N (European Union only)
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Professional (x64)
Windows 7 Enterprise
Windows 7 Enterprise (x64)
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows 7 Ultimate (x64)
See the big change? That’s right: the Starter and Home Basic versions have switched places this time around. In Windows Vista, Starter edition was aimed at developing markets only and wasn’t available to mainstream Windows customers, while Home Basic was broadly available worldwide on budget PCs. In Windows 7, this is no longer the case. Now, Windows 7 Home Basic is made available only with new PC purchases in emerging markets, while Windows 7 Starter will be sold worldwide, primarily on netbooks and other very low end, budget PCs.
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
Vitamin B6, which plays a critical role in protein metabolism, occurs in three forms in the body (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine). All three forms are relatively stable in an acidic medium but are not heat stable under alkaline conditions. The active coenzyme forms are pyridoxal 5’ phosphate (PLP) and pyridoxamine 5-phosphate (PMP)
All forms of vitamin B6 are absorbed in the upper part of the small intestine. They are phosphorylated within the mucosal cells to form PLP and PMP. PLP can be oxidized further to form other metabolites that are excreted in the urine. Vitamin B6 is stored in muscle tissues. PLP plays an important role in amino acid metabolism. It has the ability to transfer amino groups from compounds by removing an amino acid from one component and adding to another. This allows the body to synthesize nonessential amino acids when amino groups become available. Pyridoxal 5 phosphate’s ability to add and remove amino groups makes it invaluable for protein and urea metabolism.
Vitamin B6 is transferred in the blood, in both plasma and red blood cells. PLP and PMP can both be bound to albumin, with PLP binding more tightly, or to hemoglobin in the red blood cell. The liver is the primary organ that is responsible for the metabolism of vitamin B6 metabolites. As a result, the liver supplies the active form PLP to the blood as well as to other tissues. The three non-phosphorylated forms of vitamin B6 are converted to their respective phosphorylated forms by pyridoxine kinase, with zinc and ATP as cofactors. Pyridoxamine 5’ phosphate and pyridoxine 5’ phosphate can then be converted to PLP by flavin mononucleotide (FMN) oxidase.
All forms of vitamin B6 are absorbed in the upper part of the small intestine. They are phosphorylated within the mucosal cells to form PLP and PMP. PLP can be oxidized further to form other metabolites that are excreted in the urine. Vitamin B6 is stored in muscle tissues. PLP plays an important role in amino acid metabolism. It has the ability to transfer amino groups from compounds by removing an amino acid from one component and adding to another. This allows the body to synthesize nonessential amino acids when amino groups become available. Pyridoxal 5 phosphate’s ability to add and remove amino groups makes it invaluable for protein and urea metabolism.
Vitamin B6 is transferred in the blood, in both plasma and red blood cells. PLP and PMP can both be bound to albumin, with PLP binding more tightly, or to hemoglobin in the red blood cell. The liver is the primary organ that is responsible for the metabolism of vitamin B6 metabolites. As a result, the liver supplies the active form PLP to the blood as well as to other tissues. The three non-phosphorylated forms of vitamin B6 are converted to their respective phosphorylated forms by pyridoxine kinase, with zinc and ATP as cofactors. Pyridoxamine 5’ phosphate and pyridoxine 5’ phosphate can then be converted to PLP by flavin mononucleotide (FMN) oxidase.
The Truth About Time: It does not exist except as you say it does
Time is a funny thing. A very funny thing. The biggest trick time ever played
on us was to make us think it was real, and that we were under its full control.
Yet, time is a complete illusion, a strong and persistent illusion.
What wonderful news that is! Time is an illusion created by you. Once you
understand how this illusion is created by you, you then begin to re-create it as you wish, consciously and deliberately instead of unconsciously and accidentally as you may have been doing.
What is time? What do I have to do with time? How should I think and be
about time so that I may experience wealth and other things in larger quantities faster?
The only time that truly exists is Now…
''The distinction between past, present and future is only an illusion, however
persistent" - Albert Einstein
''Whether time is long or short, and whether space is broad or narrow, depend
upon the mind. Those whose minds are at leisure can feel one day as a
millennium, and those whose thoughts are expansive can perceive a small house
to be as spacious as the universe.'' - Hung Tzu-ch'eng
on us was to make us think it was real, and that we were under its full control.
Yet, time is a complete illusion, a strong and persistent illusion.
What wonderful news that is! Time is an illusion created by you. Once you
understand how this illusion is created by you, you then begin to re-create it as you wish, consciously and deliberately instead of unconsciously and accidentally as you may have been doing.
What is time? What do I have to do with time? How should I think and be
about time so that I may experience wealth and other things in larger quantities faster?
The only time that truly exists is Now…
''The distinction between past, present and future is only an illusion, however
persistent" - Albert Einstein
''Whether time is long or short, and whether space is broad or narrow, depend
upon the mind. Those whose minds are at leisure can feel one day as a
millennium, and those whose thoughts are expansive can perceive a small house
to be as spacious as the universe.'' - Hung Tzu-ch'eng
BAI Baoshan
Described in official dispatches as China’s most prolific serial killer to date, with 15 known victims (comparedto 13 for LI WENXIAN), Bai Baoshan apparently committedhis first murder in the early 1980s, during a poorly planned holdup. Convicted of murder and robbery in that case, he served 13 years in prison and emerged with a brooding desire for revenge against society at large.
Bai’s payback rampage began in March 1996, when he attacked a police sentry in Beijing and stole a semiautomatic weapon, later used to kill one person and wound six others (including four patrolmen). Authorities believe he also robbed and killed a Beijing cigarette vendor before leaving town and traveling to the northern Chinese province of Hebei. There, Bai killed another policeman and stole his automatic rifle, moving on to Urümqi, the capital of Xinjiang province. In Urümqi, authorities say Bai and two accomplices murdered 10 persons—including police officers, security guards, and civilians—while stealing 1.5 million yuan
(about $180,000). Unhappy with the prospect of sharing his loot, Bai killed one of his cohorts and kept all
the money for himself. By that time, Bai had earned the dubious honor of being labeled China’s “Public Enemy No. 1.”
Returning to Beijing in October 1997, the 39-yearold gunman was traced by police and arrested on October
16, charged with 14 homicides and various related felonies. A local newspaper reported his confession, and he was returned to Xinjiang province for trial, where most of his victims were slain. Convicted on all counts and sentenced to death, Bai Baoshan was executed on May 6, 1998.
Bai’s payback rampage began in March 1996, when he attacked a police sentry in Beijing and stole a semiautomatic weapon, later used to kill one person and wound six others (including four patrolmen). Authorities believe he also robbed and killed a Beijing cigarette vendor before leaving town and traveling to the northern Chinese province of Hebei. There, Bai killed another policeman and stole his automatic rifle, moving on to Urümqi, the capital of Xinjiang province. In Urümqi, authorities say Bai and two accomplices murdered 10 persons—including police officers, security guards, and civilians—while stealing 1.5 million yuan
(about $180,000). Unhappy with the prospect of sharing his loot, Bai killed one of his cohorts and kept all
the money for himself. By that time, Bai had earned the dubious honor of being labeled China’s “Public Enemy No. 1.”
Returning to Beijing in October 1997, the 39-yearold gunman was traced by police and arrested on October
16, charged with 14 homicides and various related felonies. A local newspaper reported his confession, and he was returned to Xinjiang province for trial, where most of his victims were slain. Convicted on all counts and sentenced to death, Bai Baoshan was executed on May 6, 1998.
Graphic Design: The illustrated method
Adobe Illustrator is the perfect tool for creating art illustrations, since it's designed from the ground up for drawing smooth, clean lines with simple flat fills.The fact that every element is a separate editable object makes it easy to apply different fills and strokes to them, and to charge these values at a later point.It's also possible to repurpose artwork created in Illustrator.This means that if, for example, you've produced a complex illustration, like the one shown in workthrough one, you can reuse the illustration elesewhere with comparative ease.
Illustrations have far more clarity than photographs, and can be reproduced far smaller without loss of information.This is why technical manuals always use line art illustrations rather than photographs, even though, like here, they will almost certainly have started with photographic images, which were then traced.When producing these illustrations, you don't have to worry about clean backgrounds, professional photographic lighting or even dirty fingernails.You just need to get the raw image into illustrator, so that you can produce the perfect illustration from it.
When drawing over a photograph, the problem, initially, is that the drawings will cover the image to such an extent that you may no longer be able to see what you're trying to reproduce.It's possible to get around this problem by lowering the opacity of the objescts as you draw them, using the Transparency palette- you can always return them to their full strenght later om
Illustrations have far more clarity than photographs, and can be reproduced far smaller without loss of information.This is why technical manuals always use line art illustrations rather than photographs, even though, like here, they will almost certainly have started with photographic images, which were then traced.When producing these illustrations, you don't have to worry about clean backgrounds, professional photographic lighting or even dirty fingernails.You just need to get the raw image into illustrator, so that you can produce the perfect illustration from it.
When drawing over a photograph, the problem, initially, is that the drawings will cover the image to such an extent that you may no longer be able to see what you're trying to reproduce.It's possible to get around this problem by lowering the opacity of the objescts as you draw them, using the Transparency palette- you can always return them to their full strenght later om
Windows Phone 7, a Standardized Platform
Windows Phone 7 brings all the advantages of a standardized
platform and a consistent developer experience to the Microsoft
platform for devices from many different manufacturers. It is not a
replacement for Windows Mobile, which continues to provide a powerful
platform for a wide range of devices and application scenarios.
Instead, Windows Phone 7 is a brand new mobile device that incorporates
a comprehensive set of features necessary to build applications
that satisfy the needs of business and consumers, to allow developers
to easily create powerful interactive and attractive applications, and
to reuse their skills and knowledge of existing modern development
environments, such as the Microsoft Silverlight® and the Microsoft
XNA® development platforms.
Windows Phone 7 incorporates the majority of features that users
now expect to find on a mobile device, such as cloud service and
media integration, easy and safe application installation, a stylish
modern user interface (UI) that supports gestures and smooth animation,
and device capabilities, such as location awareness, camera,
sound recording, messaging, and multi-touch. Figure 1 shows the main
features of a Windows Phone 7 device.
platform and a consistent developer experience to the Microsoft
platform for devices from many different manufacturers. It is not a
replacement for Windows Mobile, which continues to provide a powerful
platform for a wide range of devices and application scenarios.
Instead, Windows Phone 7 is a brand new mobile device that incorporates
a comprehensive set of features necessary to build applications
that satisfy the needs of business and consumers, to allow developers
to easily create powerful interactive and attractive applications, and
to reuse their skills and knowledge of existing modern development
environments, such as the Microsoft Silverlight® and the Microsoft
XNA® development platforms.
Windows Phone 7 incorporates the majority of features that users
now expect to find on a mobile device, such as cloud service and
media integration, easy and safe application installation, a stylish
modern user interface (UI) that supports gestures and smooth animation,
and device capabilities, such as location awareness, camera,
sound recording, messaging, and multi-touch. Figure 1 shows the main
features of a Windows Phone 7 device.
Intel 3d transistors
In Creating 3d transistors,intel has established a new way of manufacturing microchip circuits that could
have a dramatic impact on everything from handheld devices to data centers.
With 3d transistors, intel may finally be able to do battle in the smartphone
and tablet markets. intel claims that its new transistors can switch 37 percent faster than those made with
its existing 32nm process in chips that operate at low voltage, or 18 percent faster in chips that operate at high
voltage. Transistors switching at the same speed as those in the 32nm chips can operate at significantly lower
voltage, cutting power consumption in half. The change in manufacturing is expected to raise production costs by just 2 or 3 percent—a small price to pay for the dramatic im provement in performance.
The first products slated to reach the market using the
new technique will be intel’s “ivy Bridge” line (successor to Sandy Bridge), appearing first in laptops, desktops, and servers in early 2012.
It will take more time for the 22nm process, and its associated 3d-transistor technology, to show up in
intel’s low-power Atom CPu line and in system-onchips designed for smartphones and tablets.
Intel will use the 3d transistor structure on all chips it produces in its 22nm manufacturing process. The benefits should be considerable and the drawbacks minimal.
Other chip makers have been working on 3d gate structures, but they aren’t likely to bring them to market for
some time. Most of intel’s rivals aren’t expected to ship 22nm high-performance products until at least late
2012, and won’t use a 3d gate structure similar to intel’s until the next major manufacturing-process step
a couple of years later.
have a dramatic impact on everything from handheld devices to data centers.
With 3d transistors, intel may finally be able to do battle in the smartphone
and tablet markets. intel claims that its new transistors can switch 37 percent faster than those made with
its existing 32nm process in chips that operate at low voltage, or 18 percent faster in chips that operate at high
voltage. Transistors switching at the same speed as those in the 32nm chips can operate at significantly lower
voltage, cutting power consumption in half. The change in manufacturing is expected to raise production costs by just 2 or 3 percent—a small price to pay for the dramatic im provement in performance.
The first products slated to reach the market using the
new technique will be intel’s “ivy Bridge” line (successor to Sandy Bridge), appearing first in laptops, desktops, and servers in early 2012.
It will take more time for the 22nm process, and its associated 3d-transistor technology, to show up in
intel’s low-power Atom CPu line and in system-onchips designed for smartphones and tablets.
Intel will use the 3d transistor structure on all chips it produces in its 22nm manufacturing process. The benefits should be considerable and the drawbacks minimal.
Other chip makers have been working on 3d gate structures, but they aren’t likely to bring them to market for
some time. Most of intel’s rivals aren’t expected to ship 22nm high-performance products until at least late
2012, and won’t use a 3d gate structure similar to intel’s until the next major manufacturing-process step
a couple of years later.
joi, 9 iunie 2011
“BABY Farming”: Infanticide for profit
Each historical era spawns its own peculiar types of
crime, from piracy and slave trading to the modern age
of “wilding” and computer “hackers.” The occupation
known as “baby farming” was a product of the Victorian
era, when sex was equivalent to sin and illegitimate
birth meant lifelong shame for mother and child alike.
In that repressive atmosphere, the “baby farmer”—usually
a woman—was prepared to help an unwed mother
through her time of trial . . . but only for a price.
In most cases, the “farmer” provided room and
board during a mother’s confinement, allowing embarrassed
families to tell the neighbors that their daughter
had gone “to study abroad” or “stay with relatives.”
Facilities ranged from humble country cottages to the
likes of LILA YOUNG’s spacious Ideal Maternity Home,
where hundreds of infants were born between 1925 and
1947. Unwed mothers went home with their reputations
and consciences intact, secure in the knowledge
that their babies would be placed in good homes
through black-market adoptions.
It was a no-lose proposition for the “baby farmer,”
paid by those who left a child and once again by those
who came to pick one up. If certain laws were broken
in the process, it was all the better reason for increasing
the adoption fees. Most unwed mothers and adoptive
parents doubtless viewed the “baby farmer’s”
occupation as a valuable public service, never mind
prevailing law.
crime, from piracy and slave trading to the modern age
of “wilding” and computer “hackers.” The occupation
known as “baby farming” was a product of the Victorian
era, when sex was equivalent to sin and illegitimate
birth meant lifelong shame for mother and child alike.
In that repressive atmosphere, the “baby farmer”—usually
a woman—was prepared to help an unwed mother
through her time of trial . . . but only for a price.
In most cases, the “farmer” provided room and
board during a mother’s confinement, allowing embarrassed
families to tell the neighbors that their daughter
had gone “to study abroad” or “stay with relatives.”
Facilities ranged from humble country cottages to the
likes of LILA YOUNG’s spacious Ideal Maternity Home,
where hundreds of infants were born between 1925 and
1947. Unwed mothers went home with their reputations
and consciences intact, secure in the knowledge
that their babies would be placed in good homes
through black-market adoptions.
It was a no-lose proposition for the “baby farmer,”
paid by those who left a child and once again by those
who came to pick one up. If certain laws were broken
in the process, it was all the better reason for increasing
the adoption fees. Most unwed mothers and adoptive
parents doubtless viewed the “baby farmer’s”
occupation as a valuable public service, never mind
prevailing law.
THE BULL MARKET OF THE 1980S AND EARLY 1990S?
As a recession ended in 1982, the Dow rallied from a low of 776.92 on
August 12 to 1070.55 by December 27, a 37.79% increase. This signals
a turning point for the Dow and the beginning of that spasm of the
dominant investment system often referred to as the “Great Bull Market
of the Late Twentieth Century.”
The Dow blundered upward through its first significant new high
in 16 years7 to post a 27.66% return in 1985. The excitement this
caused on Wall Street was not shared by Main Street.
Investors sought vehicles that would lower income taxes and capitalize
on inflation. It was oil and gas or real estate investments that
the well-heeled who came into our offices in the 1980s demanded. We
could barely get them to consider stocks and hardly blamed them.
From 1970 to 1974 stocks returned an annual average rate of –2.36%.
From 1973 to 1977 the average annual return was –.21%.8 Investors’
patience for the market had worn thin. A quote from Venita Van
Caspel’s best-selling financial planning book of the decade sets out
the limits of tolerance most people had for the Dow: “In my opinion,
selected common stock equities will be a viable choice, intermittently
for around 25% of your investment dollars during the decade of the
eighties.”9
August 12 to 1070.55 by December 27, a 37.79% increase. This signals
a turning point for the Dow and the beginning of that spasm of the
dominant investment system often referred to as the “Great Bull Market
of the Late Twentieth Century.”
The Dow blundered upward through its first significant new high
in 16 years7 to post a 27.66% return in 1985. The excitement this
caused on Wall Street was not shared by Main Street.
Investors sought vehicles that would lower income taxes and capitalize
on inflation. It was oil and gas or real estate investments that
the well-heeled who came into our offices in the 1980s demanded. We
could barely get them to consider stocks and hardly blamed them.
From 1970 to 1974 stocks returned an annual average rate of –2.36%.
From 1973 to 1977 the average annual return was –.21%.8 Investors’
patience for the market had worn thin. A quote from Venita Van
Caspel’s best-selling financial planning book of the decade sets out
the limits of tolerance most people had for the Dow: “In my opinion,
selected common stock equities will be a viable choice, intermittently
for around 25% of your investment dollars during the decade of the
eighties.”9
Real Diversification
What will make the realize, capitalize, customize wealth-creation
model work is an understanding of the simple concept we call real diversification.
Most people understand abstractly that they should not
put all of their eggs into one basket. In reality, most investors are not
aware that they have only a single leaky basket into which they have
concentrated their financial future. All of the new clients we have accepted
into our practice over the last four years thought that they were
diversified, but only 2% actually were. The other 98% were only superficially
diversified, if at all. This had led to severe losses during the
2000–2002 market declines. If these people had not taken steps to correct
the situation, they would have faced further erosion of their assets
during the rest of the formulation phase and would miss out on
the acceleration phase altogether.
model work is an understanding of the simple concept we call real diversification.
Most people understand abstractly that they should not
put all of their eggs into one basket. In reality, most investors are not
aware that they have only a single leaky basket into which they have
concentrated their financial future. All of the new clients we have accepted
into our practice over the last four years thought that they were
diversified, but only 2% actually were. The other 98% were only superficially
diversified, if at all. This had led to severe losses during the
2000–2002 market declines. If these people had not taken steps to correct
the situation, they would have faced further erosion of their assets
during the rest of the formulation phase and would miss out on
the acceleration phase altogether.
Slippage
Slippage is the difference between the price at the time you placed
your order and the price at which that order got filled. You may place
an order to buy when a guinea pig is trading at $4, but your bill comes
to $4.25. How come? Then the guinea pig goes up to $6 and you place
an order to sell at the market, only to receive $5.75. Why? In our daily
lives we are used to paying posted prices. Here, at the grown-up
Guinea Pig Factory, they clip you for a quarter buying and another selling.
It could get worse. Those quarters and halves can add up to a
small fortune for a moderately active trader. Who gets that money?
Slippage is one of the key sources of income for market professionals,
which is why they tend to be very hush-hush about it.
No stock, future, or option has a set price, but it does have two rapidly
changing prices—a bid and an ask. A bid is what a buyer is offering
to pay, whereas an ask is what a seller is asking. A professional is
happy to accommodate an eager buyer, selling to him instantly, on the
spot—at a price slightly higher than the latest trade in that market. A
greedy trader who’s afraid that the bullish train is leaving the station
overpays a pro who lets him have his stock right away. That pro offers
a similar service to sellers. If you want to sell without waiting, afraid
that prices may collapse, a professional will buy from you on the
spot—at a price slightly lower than the latest trade in that market.
your order and the price at which that order got filled. You may place
an order to buy when a guinea pig is trading at $4, but your bill comes
to $4.25. How come? Then the guinea pig goes up to $6 and you place
an order to sell at the market, only to receive $5.75. Why? In our daily
lives we are used to paying posted prices. Here, at the grown-up
Guinea Pig Factory, they clip you for a quarter buying and another selling.
It could get worse. Those quarters and halves can add up to a
small fortune for a moderately active trader. Who gets that money?
Slippage is one of the key sources of income for market professionals,
which is why they tend to be very hush-hush about it.
No stock, future, or option has a set price, but it does have two rapidly
changing prices—a bid and an ask. A bid is what a buyer is offering
to pay, whereas an ask is what a seller is asking. A professional is
happy to accommodate an eager buyer, selling to him instantly, on the
spot—at a price slightly higher than the latest trade in that market. A
greedy trader who’s afraid that the bullish train is leaving the station
overpays a pro who lets him have his stock right away. That pro offers
a similar service to sellers. If you want to sell without waiting, afraid
that prices may collapse, a professional will buy from you on the
spot—at a price slightly lower than the latest trade in that market.
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