View allAll Photos Tagged obfuscation
You need to choose the best credit card reader for your device. A mobile device with a credit card reader is a compact tool. It is extremely practical, particularly if you sell products at outdoor markets or travel to provide professionals services to clients. Credit card service for mobile is a great opportunity for us. Apps provide millions of software solutions to modern problems like organizing photos or learning a new language.With a mobile credit card reader, your store can throw out old cash registers and start accepting credit and debit card payments right on your mobile device.
Credit card reader types
There are several types of a card reader. I have tested four types -Square, PayPal Chip Card Reader, QuickBooks GoPayment, and PayAnywhere. They are not dramatically different from each other.Anyone should fulfill most basic requirements. In 2013, The New York Times published a series on its business blog about his journey through the legal obfuscation and false promises.
Service terms
Most credit card processors provide pay-as-you-go or month-to-month service plans. Processors should have enough confidence in their services. You want to make sure that you understand your obligations, the processing costs and all the fees that you are expected to pay.
Choose the best credit card reader
Different card readers have different features.
I bought the instructions for Jerac's Tie Fighter about two years ago, but before I bought the pieces, I wanted to try tweaking the design in Stud.IO to better match its on-screen appearance. I've continued modifying the design even after I built the physical model, with each extra tweak expanding the scope of the project. I currently have a Tie Fighter that, while still sharing the original model's bones, is nonetheless significantly altered.
Wing Struts
The armor panels have been remade for more visual cohesiveness and screen accuracy. The space constraints of the new construction necessitated a new approach to the sloped pieces that lie between the panels. The ones near the central pod are now made using 1x4 Slopes and are held in place with only a 1 stud connection. They maintain their stability by resting on top of the 1x2 30 Degree Slopes I incorporated into the struts to give them a rounder look. The lengths of the long slopes and the wedge plates near the wings were changed to better reflect their positioning and size relative to the other visual elements on the struts. While this decision leaves both elements slightly over and undersized, they come the closest that can be represented in Lego using a plate-based construction for the core of the struts.
Wings
I've redone the visual detailing for the wing hubs while leaving the support structure relatively unchanged. Jerac's construction method emphasized a balance between greebling and overall appearance, but this resulted in noticeable gaps in the hubs and a squished, hexagonal shape. I modified the wing hubs to make a gap-less, regular hexagon that fits in an 8x8 space. The wing panels were slightly modified for more stability using groups of 1x1 Bricks w/ Holes connected by Technic pins. These preserve the vertical panel lining of the original while providing as much stability as longer horizontal bricks. Finally, I unified the construction of all the wing panel struts. They are all now 2 plates tall and capped with a curved slope leading into the wing's outermost border. I tried to go for a smoother appearance since 1 plate thick wing struts are impossible to make while also serving as support for the wing panels.
Central Pod - Front
I covered up a small gap in the upper cockpit flap using 1x3 Jumper Tiles. The cannon assemblies use a modified version of the build method I recently saw on Brickvault's Tie X1, though the cannons themselves require the builder commit the ultimate sin of MOC design: part modification. They are made by cutting a length of flex tube to roughly twice the thickness of a horizontal clip piece. This kind of modification is something Lego has instructed the builder to do in some sets before, so I count it as a “legal” move, if not exactly smiled upon. This method results in the most accurate placement, size, and shape of any method I've seen for representing cannons recessed into a curved surface.
Central Pod – Bottom
A detail of the original model that irked me is that the top hatch sits flush with the top of the central pod and lines up with the slopes on either side of it, while the same area on the bottom of the ship was made with curved slopes. I was able to provide the half-plate recess necessary for a 4x4 Dish on the bottom to mirror the appearance of the top, though this one change required a substantial internal alteration. One of the two connections holding the central pod together stood in the way of creating the recess, but I figured out a compromise. By making the connecting plate 1 stud wide instead of two leaves space under the pilot's chair to run a sort of scaffolding to the 4x4 Dish's correct location. The scaffolding itself isn't very sturdy, but it only has to hold the dish in place; support is provided by all the pieces the dish now rests flush against. Aside from looking good, this construction method is strong enough to support the weight of the entire model resting on its stand. Additionally, the whole pod is now 2 plates thicker to give a more spherical appearance compared to the original model. It's a detail you can't unsee once you spot it, especially when the model is placed next to other Brickvault Ties.
Central Pod – Back
The original construction of the engines used hollow, round studs slid over the vertical arm of modified 1x2 Plates to represent exhaust. While I like the effect, and tried to keep it in my revisions, this method of construction keeps the thrusters from being flush with the central pod's curved surface, as well as either too close or too far apart. I used a modified version of the “bow tie” detailing on the front of the pod to represent the thrusters, a trait shared with the on-screen Tie Fighter models. Regarding the rearmost portion of the ship, the original model uses 1x2 30m Degree Slopes to create the hexagonal rear window. However, the window is shown to be flush with the surface of the central pod in official depictions, meaning a redesign was needed. I wasn't satisfied with any solution I tried that used slope bricks to make the hexagonal window pattern. None of them were flat enough to match the source material, so I had to resort to the second greatest sin of MOC creation: a custom sticker. That said, I think it turned out pretty well. There are two graphical file for the custom sticker: one can be printed on standard letter-sized sticker paper in an inkjet printer, while the other can be used with software for devices like a Cricut sticker printer.
If you’re interested in building this modification yourself, I’ve created a free set of upgrade instructions that can be used alongside the original model’s instructions to create this modified Tie Fighter. Since this is a third-party modification of premium instructions, I’ve taken multiple steps to maintain the need for the original set of instructions. The new instructions (with a few exceptions) only show where to place pieces unique to the upgraded model, meaning you can’t build the full Tie Fighter as shown without also owning a copy of the original instructions from Brickvault. Furthermore, all pieces that are unchanged from the original model are rendered in dark purple and blurred to the point of near-complete obfuscation. I went to all this effort because I feel Jerac’s Tie Fighter is currently the best minifigure scale representation of the ship available, and I want to share my modifications of it with others while still respecting the original creator and owners.
Let me know what you all think!
______________________________
Upgrade Instructions: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BLRNudwPExbXnkETsxQVIfZLg...
Original Instructions: www.brickvault.toys/products/tie-fighter-minifig-scale?_p...
but before the ribbon.
blocking made a huge difference with how i felt about this project. i loved how quickly it knit up and the sweet lace pattern, but after it was knit the brim rolled and it seemed like it would be too small. plus the pattern of the yarn i chose (patons) seemed to obfuscate the detail of the lace. blocking made it all better.
i don't know what other people use to block hats, but i grabbed what was closest. a large jar of adam's peanut butter, repurposed for sesame sticks, with a bowl on top. merle wants to play with this set-up something fierce.
free pattern: whipup.net/2008/09/23/knitting-pattern-lacy-girly-fancy-hat/
4me4you features ‘Towards a Blue Room’.
Artist: Timothy Lai
4me4you recently had the privilege of experiencing the captivating exhibition at Josh Lilley Gallery featuring the works of Timothy Lai. Lai's paintings, much like the subjects they depict, reside in a realm of perpetual transformation, hovering delicately between the tangible and the abstract, between revelation and retreat. Inspired by Chet Baker's poignant rendition of Blue Room, Lai's artistry celebrates the nuanced moments of domesticity—some mundane, others turbulent—that define the human experience. Each canvas serves as a vessel for the essence of suspended time, inviting viewers to decipher the subtle clues and profound implications embedded within.
Lai assumes the role of a conductor, orchestrating an intimate symphony of visual narratives that demand active participation from the observer. Through techniques of camouflage and pixelation, he veils his subjects, blurring the boundaries between viewer and viewed. In safeguarding their vulnerability, Lai initiates a dialogue on the intricate dynamics of subjectivity, where the relinquishment of individual identity converges with the emergence of collective consciousness. As witnesses to his artistry, we are propelled into the roles of reluctant bystanders, silent mediators, or compassionate companions, navigating the uncharted waters of human connection with patience and empathy.
Spanning a diverse array of larger vignettes and intimate compositions, Lai employs the compositional frame as a tool for dissecting barriers—both societal and self-imposed—that shape our existence. Drawing from a rich tapestry of historical and visual references, he reimagines the act of masking as a conduit for deeper introspection and nuanced discourse. From religious rites of enshroudment to the deliberate obfuscation of truth in contemporary art, Lai challenges conventional notions of concealment, inviting viewers to confront the complexities of perception and identity.
"Towards a Blue Room" serves as a profound exploration of confluence, probing the liminal spaces where boundaries blur and possibilities unfold. In Lai's masterful strokes, dissolution intertwines with protection, reflection merges with exposure, offering glimpses into the kaleidoscopic nature of human experience. Each brushstroke beckons us to traverse the threshold between certainty and ambiguity, forging new pathways of understanding and connection.
In essence, Lai's work transcends the confines of traditional artistry, offering a kaleidoscopic lens through which to interpret the intricacies of the human condition. As we immerse ourselves in the labyrinth of his creations, we are reminded of the profound power of art to illuminate, provoke, and ultimately, unite us in our shared journey towards understanding.
I was en route from breakfast in Sandusky to lunch in Oberlin on Sunday when I made this discovery.
Apparently, here in Ohio we have dragons. They appear to be raised on ranches. This may explain the conservative tenor of the state, as Conservatives tend to be better at concealing and obfuscating things (or so the theory goes... Trust No One...). This could be quite a story if it got out! So now we know...
Oh, and also, apparently dragons like to play golf. I did not know that.
.
Oate-02/04/07 s decision to implement the 27% reservation for OBCs was indeed a step towards more decentralisation : _e ~erein the goal of 'Equity, Quantity and Quality' could have been materialised. In fact the long ~-~, -..--.,-;; _ _:;-~ d Progressive forces to spend 6% of GOP on educaticn could also have been met out as well in the rease. It is unfortunate that an institution like the Supreme Court of India, with whom the epithet justice is ed to obfuscate such move at least tentatively in the context of the recent stay order given by its two-s principle justice must not only be delivered but also.seen, at this juncture, becomes oxymoron vis-a-x court of the land. Actually, exclusion, ostracism and suppression are the derivatives of our social, e:Dn::r.};c· r story and still these derivatives are imbued with from society to sociology of the most of institutions. -.------"'·""_=sible in t'Ml ways, firstly, the representation of deprived sections in various educational institutions and.
=-: .
-=-reflects the subjugation and oppression they have faced historically in our country; and secondly, the elite ~-....,....,.,,. -section of the society which has enjoyed a virtual monopoly over all the resources till now is trying to ng the larger masses of our country that reservations would divide India on caste lines(lronically for these _·--on the basis of Capitation fees is acceptable). These anti-reservationists have become so blind in its ... portunities to the backward classes that they c~nnot support and accept the move to spend 6% of GOP on : .. · seat increase due to explicit reason: that will shake the foundation of elitism and status quoism which is the .
-= : ·eep them out-of-touch from poor irrespective of latter's genealogy. : --p y caste ridden society like ours, reservation though not sufficient, is one of the necessary means to address ~:.."' ,·es and injustice. It is saddening and deplorable to see the Supreme Court is getting trapped in the quagmire .
·:-~e castiest and anti-poor forces. This will categorically shudder the beliefs of millions of poor in the Judiciary as an · ·.~non which would only pave the way for social unrest. The different enshrined articles in the Constitution firmly .
_ _, that the Supreme Court is the apex court of India and not apex body of decision making for the reason that the Parliament. And the division of power cannot be arbitrarily based on a very few judges' interpretation. It must Otherwise, it would produce a threat to the popular parliamentary democratic system of our country on which and deprived people of our country have reposed faith time and again, despite its different pitfalls. .
ot the first time the Supreme Court has ignored the empirical reality of India. Earlier also, the Supreme Court has :-: ·o nullify the significance of ninth schedule which has produced the gravest threat to the policy of affirmative actions in ·ates. It was in the case of Zamindari Abolition Act and Nationalisation of Banks, when the Supreme Court had taken ---"' o' bourgeoisie and feudal sections as well, that the Parliament had to put these laws in ninth schedule of the ::t:--s:::f.ic· ll1. We appeal to the Supreme Court that it should become the facilitator of Justice not obfuscator for the greatest .
1 .
:) poor. The SFI explicitly and overtly demands that the Central Government must endeavour to make sure the ---· _egislation gets materialised in the coming academic session of 2007-08 .And justice must uphold and prevail in all .
-~a ugly show of Youth for (In) Equality continues incessantly with the disruption of speech of HRO Minister Arjun ::..,· e this, these cultured genius students had manhandled Swami Agnivesh and Dr. Udit Raj for speaking in favour of ~~'""""at JNU. The new avatars (incarnations) of globalization, Casteism, Elitism and Status Quoism, formed in our campus -.::. oanner of Youth for (ln)equality, must start respecting the democratic aspirations and dignity of all. Despite their :::=:::::::~~ abuses against dalits-OBCs and women and guardianship of Supreme Court to justify their malicious intention, they ger in position to imbibe and imitate their older practices in contemporary times. We appeal to the democratic -...dents to isolate the anti-democratic politics of anti-reservationists to protract the egalitarian and socially sensitive .
-_ o~' campus. .
'act, it is ironic that the so called pro-reservation organisations like AISA-DSU and the rabidly anti-reservationists like ising the same disruptive ·tactics when it comes to 'protest' against others. The JNUSU General Secretary has -ed out in yesterday's notice that the 'lot of YFE' have insulted the OBC students when it disrupted the meeting in SSS c=...L-J. -ronically the father (AISA) has forgotten his child, i.e. the disruption of Manmohan Singh's Speech wherein a large.
"-l--.
s· Jdents with and without any political affiliations were present to listen to him. One breathing line from AI SA goes to -=. --s selective memory to suit its politics of convenience becomes more evident when the JNUSU General Secretary _ · . ""e"~roned in yesterday's notice about the casteist leaflet of YFE but did not utter a word about YFE's violence against the ,.eservation students on 191h May 2006 when along with other students, then SFI secretary Subhanil Chowdhary and .
GSCASH representative got hospitalised resisting the goons of YFE. .
. . ~FJ appeals t~ all progressive section of the JNU community to isolate the YFE and expose the ultra-left wh .
ln~ulgl~g ~~ petty-rhetoncs and appeals to the JNUSU to make all efforts to mobilise the student communit to fi . o are .
UnJUSt '~!enm orde~ of Supreme Court and ensure the implementation of Parliament's ~egislatiun in letter and xt ght agarnst the . .
Sd/-RaJIV Kr. RanJan, Secretary, SFI-JNU Sdl . Splrl · .
Roshan K1shore, President, SFI·JNU .
.
P O O R H A C K E R S!
A N Y T H I N G E L S E T O D O???
Every couple of days I acquire the message in my mail box:
"Alert:
Individual verification fell short: admin Description: A person fell short to login to your website. If you are acquiring way too many of these messages, it is most
.
.
.
.
.
~~CPI (M) the watchdog of the UPA and SFI the watchdog of 19.11.05 .
~ the .INU Administration .
.
IfSFI-AISF backed out from its protest against Manmohan Singh in the JNU campus, their parent parties CPI-CPM have already started scaling down its "opposition against UPA on the question ofIran as well. Last week in LucknowCPM'Warned'" thatthe "Left along with SP~D(S) with astrength ofaround 100 in the Parliament would force thegovernment to change its stand on Iran". But by Nov. 1611 after meeting PM and Sonia Gandhi, CPI-CPM suddenly decided for a "discussion on the Iran Issue In the Parliament underRule 193, which allows onlyashort duration discussion but no voting". .
From tribal villages of Rairakhol In Orissa to the streets of Iran, November 14th protests by the JNU students against the pro-.
imperialist, pro-US policies of Manmohan Singh government are creating waves! .
While the students peacefully demonstrated, waving black flags and asking "Why vote agarnst Iran, Why the anti-people economrc policies of the .
UPA, why the killer laws of AFSPA and the Patent Act,...." the SFI-AISF stood silent in rts complete complicity with the UPA government. In .
addition, by dapping at Manmohan Singh's speech while student protestors were being beaten up by NSUI and JPF goons, SFI-AISF chose to .
be in the anti-people mahajot(grand alliance) of the ruling class parties. .
.
Fix the protestors, by hook or by crook : SFI-AISF in a witch-hunt mission with the Adrr.inistration .
In a betrayal ofthis vibrant demonstration ofdissent, the SFI attempted to hide i1s complicity with the Congress and its refusal to protestthe anti-.
people policies ofthe UPA government by trying to paint the entire protest as an act of vandalism I Let us look at their shifting position-.
bottom line being "fix the protestors, by hook or by crook: .
.
The scuffle that followed between the students in the presence ofthe media and guests has been most unfortunate and .
has put our University in bad light before the outside world." SF/ Pamphlet, .
.
Note: the SFI makes .10 distinction between the political act of protest and the lumpenism of the NSUI and JPF, calling the entire .
incident a "scuffle" between anonymous "students..·no reference to NSUI or JPF's mindless indulgence in violence against .
peaceful protesters! .
.
15·11·05 " ... we take strong note ofthe manner in which certain organizations disrupted the programme completely..We also.
-.
condemn the subsequent altercations and violence that ensued between the members ofcertain organisations during the entire .
length ofthe PM's speech which Jeri to further disruption., JNUSU Pamphlet, Signed by rhe Vice President andJoint Secretary. .
.
Note: The ambiguous position was repeated again-no reference to NSUI or JPF's mindless indulgence in violence against peaceful .
protesters! Speaking at the JNUSU Public Meeting ofNov. 15, an ex-JNUSU President from SFI refused to name the perpetrators of the .
violence and said that it is difficult to draw the line. .
.
During the aforesaid meeting, one teacher who had been invited to speakfar from condemning the VIOlence actually praisedthe NSUI and JPF .
for the restrainr they showed in perpetrating the violence. The JNUSU Vtee President from the SFI, who was chairing the meeting, did not raise .
any objection to this shameful white-washing ofthe NSUI and JPF's role in perpetrating the violence against the protesting students, thus .
continuing SFI's attempts to confuse the issue. .
.
16-11-05 "Unsurprisingly, most ofthese lumpens who indulged in violence belong either to the organization like JPF whose .
parent organization spreads nothing but hatred and violence or to the organization like NSUI which only believes in money and .
muscle power politics... Unfortunately, on 14th November the ultra-left elements too joined the physical exercises at the stadium .
in the most shameful manner and share the responsibility for creating the ruckus there,, SF! Pamphlet. .
.
Note: It took 48 hours for SFI-AISF to realize that NSUI and JPF were involved in the violence! .
17-11-05 l' ...the NSUI activists indulged in the worst form ofretaliatory violence on that day The SFI-AISF warns the JNU .
Adminjstration against any effort to target those responsible for the disruption ofthe PM's speech one-sidedly, to please the .
Congress bosses, without looking into the violent activities ofthe NSUI activists as well as some JPF lumpens. "SF/Pamphlet. .
.
Note: the SFJ -AISFis only justifying the NSUI's violence by calling it "retaliatory", insinuating that it was the proh...;tors who, through .
their political act of shouting slogans and waving black flags, were the original sinners, responsible for 'provokjng' the violence. This .
is reminiscent of patriarchy blaming rape on women's 'provocative' conduct; Narendra Modi blaming the riots on Muslims. .
.
In summary, when the student community refused to be fooled by blatant lies and asserted that it was clearly the NSUI and JPF activists who had perpetrated the violence in an attempt to silence the peacefully protesting students, the SFI was forced to alter its intentionally ambiguous stand. No longer able to hide behind obfuscation, the SFI was forced to recognise that the violence that took place on NoverT'lber 14111 was actually an assault by lumpen elements against a political protest. .
Nevertheless, the SFI continues to search for any excuse to crackdown on the Left protestors: first it attempted to do so by spuriously characterizing the protest as an act of vandalism, and now having failed to do so, it is encouraging the Administration to clamp down on the protestors simply for holding a protest 1 .
The NSUI and JPF tried to upunrsh· the protestors through punches and kicks and anti-women abuses; the SFI is now trying to ensure a clampdown on them through administrative retribution. We appeal to the studentcommunity to .
-force the administration to punish the NSUI-JPF-ABVP lumpens who indulged in violence against the protestors .
·resist this witch-hunt of the students for their Ideological-political act of protest .
·stand by your right to protest, and .
.
·stand firmly with JNU's best tradition of spirited Left protest against the powers that be. .
sd/-Chandan Kumar, jt.secy., AISA, JNU sd/-Rajesh Ranjan,jt.secy., AISA, JNU .
.
.
.
Ok, I'm blurred, layered, grunged and otherwise well obfuscated, but where is the obligatory bird. Someone, please give me the bird. #igerseastbay #unitedbyedit @unitedbyedit #streetportrait #iphonestreetportrait #mobileart #streetphotography #iphonestreetphotography #statigram #wearejuxt #collage #streetphotocollage
260 Likes on Instagram
25 Comments on Instagram:
xenophaedja: @terryssha you are very kind. Thank you.
terryssha: Thank you for dropping by on my feed, glad you liked some of them! your feed is awesome, looking forward to another fantastic shot!
lorenka: Beautiful
xenophaedja: @lorenka thank you very much. ✨✨
ciaraasple: Really lovely
xenophaedja: @ciaraasple thank you
colombianomad: Haunting ora to your edits n photographs .. Nice gallery
xenophaedja: @colombianomad thank you very much John. Well appreciated. ✨✨
I assume this version of English includes a lot of obfuscation. The sign was close to Place de la République in Paris.
Actually makes sense in context, and doesn't even mention James Brown (the software, not the singer). I'm working too hard :-)
Over the past few years there has been an exponential increase in the number of experimental apps being developed. Moreover, there has been a rise in the number of mobile phone users globally and with that, the number of apps downloaded have also increased.
However, this means that the security risks associated with mobile apps are also on the rise. This is a concern for both app developers and users. If you are a developer worried about your app’s security, then it is important to acquaint yourself with the OWASP mobile top 10 security risks.
To read more in detail check the article written on What is Insecure Communication risk in the Owasp mobile top 10?
.
than the colonization of India by the Turks. .
2. .
I severely doubt the applicability of post-modernism as an explanatory device for anything in India. I think resorting to pomo, is taking the easy way out of answering hard questions about economies and identities. .
.
3. .
I believe that it is time we stop piggy-backing on concepts and theories which we have picked up in our few semesters at JNU or exchanged with our friends over leisurely cups of tea at Ganga Dhaba. Let's try and be original for once. Let's build proper causal explanations instead of spreading conspiracy theories without any evidence about anything. That is just bad political science. .
.
4. .
We all want development and we all agree that liberalization has created pockets of inequality and has also created 'jobless growth'. It is an outrage. There is no debate on this in my mind. Yet, lefties have not really come up with many practical solutions or alternatives to the current paradigm of development. Or maybe I have not come across any of them. Of course maybe the super-bright profs. at CESP may have written something, but being in the US has its disadvantages. I no longer have ready access to papers written at JNU. And no one is doing any good lefty work in the US. Moreover, I think Marxism has stagnated because it is no longer able to explain the rise of new kinds of classes in China and the Middle-east (rentier states). The newest work done on this is by Kiren Chaudhry whose book The Price of Wealth looks at the regimes of Saudi Arabia and Yemen and tries to see how changes in the international economy affect prices, policies, institutions in domestic settings. Loosely Marxist, but still better than most other lefty work. I think it is better to come up with alternatives instead of cribbing endlessly about how wrong things are with the current set-up. .
.
5. .
Finally, I don't see why the nature of the state is under debate at all here when we speak about Nandigram. By definition, the state is that institution or organization which 'has a monopoly of violence or coercion'. SHould we be surprised? I can only say that all state's are terrorist, some more than others. So when we start getting 'shocked' by atrocities on citizens, I am forced to conclude that somehow in our minds we have a construct of the state as being benevolent rather than belligerent. My advisor, and me had a conversation about this and he said well, its only academicians who have a happy, positive construct of the state as being an impartial arbiter between groups, or a doler or welfare, etc. In reality everyone else thinks the state is just plain scary. So how about we base our theorising on how PEOPLE see the state instead of borrowing blindly from the books that line our libraries? The Nandigram incident didn't shock or surprise me -if there is a state, there will also be coercion. I do however, condemn it. .
.
6. .
Let's keep the debate straightforward. Reservations is a separate issue. Nandigram and state terror is another one. .
.
7. .
Let's not alienate our audience by using stylized jargon borrowed from our course readers. To me an idea which cannot be communicated in one paragraph is not worth communicating at all. Jargon only obfuscates real causes and consequences and is irritating to have to wade through. We are all academics and equally capable of producing pages and pages of puerile text which sounds fancy and intelligent. Let's spare each other the trauma. There is a reason no one likes reading Talcott Parsons. .
.
.
Finally, i don't know who said this but I think I agree with him/her -"If you have something political to say, write a novel." I am as lefty as anyone on this email list. But I am an annoyed lefty, who .
.
Testing, testing. One, two, three. Two outpatient visits to the hospital today for some tests. Ultrasound in the am, and my annual cardiology checkup in the pm. All my results were good.
In a little experiment, I used AI to obfuscate the personal information in the image. It makes a nice change from pixelating it. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Pelophylax is a genus of true frogs widespread in Eurasia, with a few species ranging into northern Africa. This genus was erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1843 to accommodate the green frogs of the Old World, which he considered distinct from the brown pond frogs of Carl Linnaeus' genus Rana.
They are also known as water frogs, as they spend much of the summer living in aquatic habitat; the pond frogs can be found more often, by comparison, on dry land, as long as there is sufficient humidity. Yet there are species of Eurasian green frogs – the Central Asian P. terentievi, or the Sahara frog (P. saharicus) – which inhabit waterholes in the desert.
Systematics and taxonomy
Most authors throughout the 19th and 20th century disagreed with Fitzinger's assessment. The green frogs were included again with the brown frogs, in line with the tendency to place any frog similar in habitus to the common frog (R. temporaria) in Rana. That genus, in the loose circumscription, eventually became a sort of "wastebin taxon".
Around 2000, with molecular phylogenetic studies becoming commonplace, it was discovered that Fitzinger's assessment was correct after all – not only is Pelophylax an independent genus, but it does in fact belong to a lineage of Raninae not particularly close to Rana. But it also turned out that these Eurasian green frogs might not form a monophyletic lineage. The sheer number of species involved in the group of Pelophylax and its closest relatives means that it will probably be some time until the definite circumscription of this genus is resolved.
The Pelophylax frogs belong to a group of moderately advanced Raninae – possibly a clade – that also includes such genera as Babina, Glandirana, Hylarana, Pulchrana, Sanguirana, Sylvirana, as well as Hydrophylax which like Pelophylax is suspected of being not monophyletic. These genera were formerly also included in Rana by most authors, and several of them have only been established in the 1990s. And as regards the possible paraphyly of Pelophylax, it seems that some species assigned there are very close to Hylarana, and thus it might simply be a matter of moving them to that genus. But hybridogenic speciation is running rampant in the Old World green frogs, and this obfuscates the data gained from DNA sequence analyses.
From my project "Impermanence", exploring the temporary nature of human existence through layered reflections.
antivirus.comodo.com/cloud-antivirus.php
Cloud security is the protection of data stored online from theft, leakage, and deletion. Methods of providing cloud security include firewalls, penetration testing, obfuscation, tokenization, virtual private networks (VPN), and avoiding public internet connections.