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A system and method for setting global actions in a data storage system is described. In some examples, the system determines a policy based on information from the system, and implements that policy to the system. In some examples, the system adds or modifies global filters based on information from the system.
This is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/982,324, filed Oct. 31, 2007, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF HIERARCHICAL STORAGE MANAGEMENT, SUCH AS GLOBAL MANAGEMENT OF STORAGE OPERATIONS (Attorney Docket No. 606928045US1) which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/871,734, filed on Dec. 22, 2006, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF HIERARCHICAL STORAGE MANAGEMENT, SUCH AS GLOBAL MANAGEMENT OF STORAGE OPERATIONS (Attorney docket No. 606928045US), each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
This application is related to the following patents and pending U.S. applications, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/120,619, filed May 2, 2005, entitled "HIERARCHICAL SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A UNIFIED VIEW OF STORAGE INFORMATION" (Attorney docket No. 606928019US).BACKGROUND
Systems used to perform data storage operations of electronic data are growing in complexity. Often, these systems are required to transfer and/or store large amounts of data during specific and rigid "backup windows" that typically run on a daily or weekly basis. Because these data storage windows are limited in length (e.g., a time period of 6 PM to 6 AM so as not to interfere with work hours), data storage systems must accommodate storing larger and larger amounts of data without increasing the duration of their operations.
Data storage operations commonly rely on networked and other complex systems, where transfers and other operations occur at different places, at different times, and for different needs. Hierarchical systems may be used, where various storage components are linked to one another and to the system via a storage management component. Some of the components may provide filtering capabilities for lower components in the hierarchy. Systems may then use these storage management components to operate or "oversee" the system and its various components. However, many of the management components are used simply to manage and collect data from the various components.
The foregoing examples of some existing limitations are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the Detailed Description below. These and other problems may exist with respect to data storage systems.
In the drawings, the same reference numbers and acronyms identify elements or acts with the same or similar functionality for ease of understanding and convenience. To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the Figure number in which that element is first introduced (e.g., element 810 is first introduced and discussed with respect to
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosures, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Examples of the technology are concerned with systems and methods that monitor, control, or update data storage systems and their operations. Although described in connection with certain examples, the system described below is applicable to and may employ any wireless or hard-wired network or data storage system that stores and conveys data from one point to another, including communication networks, enterprise networks, storage networks, and so on.
Examples of the technology provide systems, such as hierarchical data systems, that determine and perform actions in response to reports and information obtained from and/or during data storage operations. The systems may monitor the storage of data for a given period and modify or redistribute storage operations based on results obtained during the monitoring period. The system may modify storage operations during the monitoring, or may use obtained information to modify future storage operations. A hierarchical system may be a system comprising a minimum of two components, where one of the components manages at least part of the other component.
For example, the system receives a report of a data transfer load, the report indicating, for a given sample time, the number of individual storage operations (e.g., number of "jobs") running with respect to the number of jobs waiting to be performed. The system may use this information and redistribute the jobs to more data pipelines (e.g., pathways to storage devices for the jobs), reducing the number of stagnant or waiting jobs. In some cases, the system may redistribute the storage operations during a running data storage operation. In some cases, the system may use the report to redistribute system resources for a later data storage operation.
In some cases, data storage systems utilize tens or hundreds of dedicated servers when performing a data transfer (such as the daily backup operation described above). In these cases, the system may implement global policies, rules, and/or filters that apply to the servers, enabling system operations to set policies for a system without resetting each individual server.
Various examples of the invention will now be described. The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding and enabling description of these examples. One skilled in the art will understand, however, that the system may be practiced without many of these details. Additionally, some well-known structures or functions may not be shown or described in detail, so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant description of the various examples.
The terminology used in the description presented below is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific examples of the system. Certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Description section.Suitable System
Referring to
Referring to
Cell 220 contains components used in data storage operations, such as a storage manager 221, a database 222, a client 223, and a primary storage database 224. Cell 230 may contain similar components, such as storage manager 231, a database 232, a client 233, and a primary storage database 234. In this example, cell 230 also contains media agent 235 and secondary database 236. Both cells 220 and 230 communicate with global manager 100, providing information related to the data storage operations of their respective cells.
Referring to
For example, cell 300 contains a storage manager 310, clients 320, multiple media agents 330, and multiple storage devices 340. Storage manager 310 controls media agents 330, which are responsible, at least in part, for transferring data to storage devices 340. Storage manager 310 includes a jobs agent 311, a management agent 312, a database 313, and an interface module 314. Storage manager 310 communicates with client 320. Client 320 accesses data to be stored by the system from database 322 via a data agent 321. The system uses media agents 330, which contain databases 331, to transfer and store data into storage devices 340.
Cells 300 may include software and/or hardware components and modules used in data storage operations. The cells 300 may be transfer cells that function to transfer data during data store operations. The cells 300 may perform other storage operations (or storage management operations) other that operations used in data transfers. For example, cells 300 may perform creating, storing, retrieving, and/or migrating primary and secondary data copies. The data copies may include snapshot copies, backup copies, HSM copies, archive copies, and so on. The cells 300 may also perform storage management functions that may push information to higher level cells, including global manager cells.
In some examples, the system performs storage operations based on storage policies. A storage policy may be, for example, a data structure that includes a set of preferences or other criteria considered during storage operations. The storage policy may determine or define a storage location, a relationship between components, network pathways, accessible datapipes, retention schemes, compression or encryption requirements, preferred components, preferred storage devices or media, and so on. Storage policies may be stored in storage manager 310, 221, 231, or may be stored in global manager 261 as discussed above.
Additionally or alternatively, the system may implement or utilize schedule policies. A schedule policy may specify when to perform storage operations, how often to perform storage operations, and so on. The schedule policy may also define the use of sub-clients, where one type of data (such as email data) is stored using one sub-client, and another type of data (such as database data) is stored using another sub-client. In these cases, storage operations related to specific data types (email, database, and so on) may be distributed between cells.
Referring to
Global server 100 may push data to a management server 442. Server 442 communicates with a database 445 and clients 451, 452 and/or 453. Data storage servers 430 push data to the global server 100, and contain data agents 432 and databases 435. These servers may communicate with clients 454, 455, and/or 456.
Global server 100 is able to perform actions (such as redistributing storage operations), and apply these actions to the data storage system via a management server. Global server 100 receives information used to determine the actions from the storage servers 430. In this example, the global server acts as a hub in the data storage system by sending information to modify data storage operations and monitoring the data storage operations to determine how to improve the operations.Load Reports and Associated Actions
Reports that sample data transfers provide meaningful information to the global manager. Using this information, the global manager (via component 110 or other similar components) may determine actions to be performed. Some of these actions may include redistributing data store operations, transferring operations from one resource to another, defining future storage policies, and so on.
Referring to
A load report may be a comprehensive report that covers an entire system. That is, the report may sample information from all cell and storage systems. The load report may also cover any combination of storage cells, components, and/or systems.
Referring to
Upon receiving a report or reports, the system, in step 620, determines an action to be performed based on the report. Referring to
For example, the system may determine a resource usage factor as the mean or median number of jobs transferring data during a data storage window or period. The system may then compare a determined usage factor to a maximum usage factor (a total number of jobs possible given the number and type of data storage resources in the global system). The system may use the comparison to determine how the sampled storage operation cell is performing and whether the cell is reaching its capacity limits as far as resource usage is concerned.
Additionally or alternatively, the system may determine a job delay factor from sampled information contained in a report. The job delay factor may be a mean or median number of jobs waiting to transfer data to storage media. The system may determine daily job delay factors for a number of days in a row for a given storage cell and determine statistical patterns based on a comparison of the job delay factors.
In step 730, the system may determine an action to be performed, and the routine 700 ends. Referring back to step 620 of
Referring to
Referring to
For example, two cells are in use for daily data stores: cell A and cell B. The system receives reports for each cell, showing job usage factors for a number of sampling periods. In this example, the reports show cell A with a job usage factor of 40 percent (2 of 5 jobs running) and cell B with a job usage factor of 100 percent (5 of 5 jobs running). Based on these statistics, the system may determine that cell B can handle 2.5 times as many jobs as cell A.
Referring back to
In some examples, administrators may set the types of information the system samples. Administrators, or developers of the system, may define mathematical models based on their needs. Additionally, the system may use mathematical models to develop reports on a variety of different data transfer or other storage activities.
The system may model the arrival and queuing of jobs (chunks of data to be transferred) at data storage resources. The system may model, for example, a mean and/or peak waiting time for a job at a resource, comparing the mean/peak time with an average service time. The system may follow models of queueing theory, such as Poisson processes using exponential distribution, or other queueing models. For example, the system may model based on a single server service (using Poisson arrivals and service notation) and implement an M/M/1 model or an M/G/1 model (using Kendall's notation). In some cases, the system may model based on an infinite server service situation, or M/M/∞ model.
For example, using the M/M/1 model of queueing, the system models a rate of jobs claiming storage as an average arrival rate (lambda), which may be approximated by a schedule kick-off interval. The system also models an average duration time of a job (the average time it uses resources) as an average service rate (mu). Thus, according to the model, the mean number of customers, or jobs, in a system (N) may be found using the following equation:
N=p/(1−p), where p=lambda/mu.
In other words, given an estimated arrival rate and servicing time, the system may estimate the mean number of jobs claiming for resources in the system at any given time.
In some cases, it may be beneficial for the mean number of jobs (N) to be slightly above (e.g., 10% or less) the maximum number of resources available in the system (MAX). Such a scenario may lead to maximized resource utilization while minimizing the number of idle jobs waiting for resources. The degree of resource utilization may factor into the scalability of a system as waiting processes consume valuable CPU time and overall time.
Thus, in some examples, a Load Report described herein determines how farther away from MAX a current system operates. In other words, it provides statistical information necessary to approximate and visualize "N" in a working system, such as a data storage system. More specifically, peak values determined by and available in the Load Report provide quantitative information related to an excess number of jobs waiting for resources at any given time (EXCESS). Thus, a difference between EXCESS and MAX may provide the system an indication of unnecessary loads in the system at certain times.
Therefore, in some examples, the system may adjust job schedule kick-off intervals (e.g. by spreading them out, delaying one or more, and so on) or transfer jobs from one resource to another to reduce the estimated mean number of resources the system may utilize. Thus, the system may decrease lambda in the above equation to decrease N, bringing N closer to MAX. Such an action may reduce the peak number of jobs waiting for resources (EXCESS) as well. Other formulas and techniques for the system to adjust resources and jobs are of course possible.Global Filters
In some cases, the system uses the global manager or server to set policies for the overall system. For example, referring back to
Referring to
In step 920, the system selects where to implement, or push, the filter. In some cases, the system pushes the filter to all cells within the system. In some cases, the system selects a proper subset of the cells and pushes the filter to the proper subset of cells. In step 930, upon a selection of cells (or automatic predetermination to select all cells), the system pushes the filters to the selected cells.
Thus, the system may define policies at many servers (tens or hundreds) without actually setting the policies at each individual server. Example policies include storage policies, schedule policies, sub-client policies, and so on. Filters and policies may be modified at the cells or at the global level, and reapplied during or after storage operations (such as described above). For example, the system may use load reports to set a policy that redistributes the resources of a storage operation, and use the global filters to implement the policy.
Referring to
Interface 1030 (
Thus, the system enables users to apply, delete, modify, and/or browse for global filters at a global level or at an individual server level (e.g., at a storage cell).CONCLUSION
Systems and modules described herein may comprise software, firmware, hardware, or any combination(s) of software, firmware, or hardware suitable for the purposes described herein. Software and other modules may reside on servers, workstations, personal computers, computerized tablets, PDAs, and other devices suitable for the purposes described herein. In other words, the software and other modules described herein may be executed by a general-purpose computer, e.g., a server computer, wireless device or personal computer. Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that aspects of the invention can be practiced with other communications, data processing, or computer system configurations, including: Internet appliances, hand-held devices (including personal digital assistants (PDAs)), wearable computers, all manner of cellular or mobile phones, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, set-top boxes, network PCs, mini-computers, mainframe computers, and the like. Indeed, the terms "computer," "server," "host," "host system," and the like are generally used interchangeably herein, and refer to any of the above devices and systems, as well as any data processor. Furthermore, aspects of the invention can be embodied in a special purpose computer or data processor that is specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one or more of the computer-executable instructions explained in detail herein.
Software and other modules may be accessible via local memory, via a network, via a browser or other application in an ASP context, or via other means suitable for the purposes described herein. Examples of the technology can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks or modules are performed by remote processing devices, which are linked through a communications network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or the Internet. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices. Data structures described herein may comprise computer files, variables, programming arrays, programming structures, or any electronic information storage schemes or methods, or any combinations thereof, suitable for the purposes described herein. User interface elements described herein may comprise elements from graphical user interfaces, command line interfaces, and other interfaces suitable for the purposes described herein. Screenshots presented and described herein can be displayed differently as known in the art to input, access, change, manipulate, modify, alter, and work with information.
Examples of the technology may be stored or distributed on computer-readable media, including magnetically or optically readable computer discs, hard-wired or preprogrammed chips (e.g., EEPROM semiconductor chips), nanotechnology memory, biological memory, or other data storage media. Indeed, computer implemented instructions, data structures, screen displays, and other data under aspects of the invention may be distributed over the Internet or over other networks (including wireless networks), on a propagated signal on a propagation medium (e.g., an electromagnetic wave(s), a sound wave, etc.) over a period of time, or they may be provided on any analog or digital network (packet switched, circuit switched, or other scheme).
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise," "comprising," and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to." As used herein, the terms "connected," "coupled," or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling of connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words "herein," "above," "below," and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the above Detailed Description using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively. The word "or," in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.
The above detailed description of examples of the technology is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps, or employ systems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of these processes or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as being performed in series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed in parallel, or may be performed at different times.
The teachings of the technology provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further examples. Any patents and applications and other references noted above, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further examples of the technology.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above Detailed Description. While the above description describes certain embodiments of the invention, and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system and method for classifying and transferring information may vary considerably in its implementation details, while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the technology under the claims. While certain aspects of the technology are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the technology in any number of claim forms. For example, while only one aspect of the technology is recited as embodied in a computer-readable medium, other aspects may likewise be embodied in a computer-readable medium. Accordingly, the inventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the technology.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
1. A system of transferring data from a source to a destination, the system comprising:
- a server connected to two or more storage modules actively transferring data from the source to the destination, wherein the server: generates a report related to data transfer performance of the two or more storage modules, wherein the report indicates results of a quantitative comparison of data transfer performances between the two or more storage modules; and determines a filter to assign based on the generated report, wherein the filter is assigned at least in part at the two or more storage modules; and
- a data transfer modification component, wherein the data transfer modification component modifies the active transfer of data from the source to the destination based in part on the assigned filter.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the report comprises results of a quantitative comparison of job usage between the two or more storage modules.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the report comprises results of a quantitative comparison of job delay between the two or more storage modules.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantitative comparison relates to queuing theory.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantitative comparison relates to the M/M/1 model of queuing theory.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantitative comparison of data transfer performances between the two or more storage modules compares a number of jobs at each storage module with a number of storage modules.
7. A system for defining a filter policy in a hierarchical data storage system, the system comprising:
- two or more data storage resources, wherein the data storage resources comprise: a first storage cell that performs a first number of data storage jobs during a data storage operation, wherein a storage cell is configured to transfer data from a source to a destination; and a second storage cell, different from the first storage cell, that performs a second number of data storage jobs during the data storage operation; and
- a server configured to assign a filter policy to the first storage cell and the second storage cell, wherein the server comprises: a comparison component that compares the performed first number of jobs to the performed second number of jobs; and a filter assignment component that assigns the filter policy to the first storage cell and the second storage cell based on the comparison.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein assigning the filter policy includes assigning a global filter policy that applies to all storage cells within the hierarchical data storage system.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein assigning the filter policy includes assigning a first filter policy that applies to the first storage cell and assigning a second filter policy at least partially different than the first filter policy to the second storage cell.
10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:
- an interface component, wherein the interface component presents the assigned filter policy to an administrator of the hierarchical data storage system.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 31, 2008
Publication Date: Oct 9, 2008
Patent Grant number: 7917473
Inventors: Srinivas Kavuri (Hyderabad), Rajiv Kottomtharayil (Marlboro, NJ)
Application Number: 12/060,186
International Classification: G06F 12/16 (20060101); G06F 12/08 (20060101);


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This Is Good For America Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Donald Trump
It has taken me a little while to adequately craft the first post. Events are being eclipsed everyday by even more outlandish and extreme behavior that is difficult to comprehend. The darker and more serious tone the campaign took over the weekend made me question the title for a second, but ultimately, it holds that America will be better off after working through the Trump crisis. Donald Trump is many things. None of them are good. Despite that, and what is beneficial in the long term is Donald Trump is forcing an end to the latest know-nothing, willfully ignorant era of American politics. At the end of what will be a very long and contentious Summer, that I hope turns back around and away from violence, the Republican party will be forced to re-organize their priorities, re-calibrate their beliefs and join the 21st Century.
Let me begin by saying that I think Donald Trump is providing a crucial service. He is destroying the Republicans by exposing their reliance on a racist, ideologically vacant base that is easily deceived by empty nationalist rhetoric that furthers no end other than their ultimate defeat. But that's not all. He has revealed that the leaders of the Republican party are soulless and rudderless, with no plan for governing the country or their party. Daily, they sit by and watch as Trump torches their platform, their history and chosen candidates, all while destroying their election chances in a few short media cycles. This is all before he was formally endorsed by David Duke and the KKK, his Campaign Manager assaulted a reporter from a website that cheer leads everything he does, a campaign rally in Chicago devolved into a riot and he began physically threatening other candidates.
It is nothing short of amazing that after Trump's flirtation with the KKK, the major endorsements started coming in. I'm not saying all of his new allies are overtly racist, but it didn't bother them enough to reconsider what they were doing. It was just another gaffe they thought they could explain away or would fade in the escalating circus that is this campaign. In that respect, they may even be right. After Chicago, the KKK is an afterthought, left behind the way last week will be by next week. But it exposed something to consider going forward. The Republican party still has a problem with the perception they're racist bigots or, if you want to be generous, uncaring and disinterested about the plight of minorities struggling in America, but short of racist bigots. One is worse than the other, but neither are laudable. This reinforces that impression. The non-Trump presidential candidates are always quick to point out what a diverse group they were offering to voters, then Trump dances with the KKK, and suffers no penalty. The message that gets dog whistled to the base is clear. The problem with that is, it's 2016.
Jump back to a few months ago, while everyone still believed his candidacy was not real and would fade. Then, Trump was viewed as a joke, but a joke that was in the process of taking down the 'establishment candidate,' Jeb Bush, who, if eliminated, opened up everyone else's path, they thought, to win the nomination. So, they encouraged him, flirted with him a little, even supported him against push back in the media. He did annihilate Bush, whose campaign never got off the ground because Trump emasculated him in a primary where emasculation is greatest sin of all. But he didn't fade away after that. Nothing he could say or do blew him up like he blew up Bush. He came after Scott Walker next and Walker tried take on the bully and made numerous stupid mistakes while Trump pummeled on him. Next up and down was Ben Carson. It was at about this point that the joke wasn't funny anymore.
Throughout this process Trump was exposing all the fissures and weaknesses inside the Republican party. They've been split in two, or three, by a rich guy that says he doesn't care and shows that he doesn't care. He tempts voters to turn on him by cursing during speeches, blaming George Bush for 9/11, and joking he could murder someone and still win the primary, encouraging assaults on protesters, offering legal aid to people that do and accusing others of supporting ISIS because he saw it on the internet. The reason all of this works for him is because his supporters don't care either. They aren't conservative or even understand the principles of conservatism. They don't support tax cuts for corporations and billionaires. In fact, push slightly and they'll support tax increases. They don't read the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times or any newspaper at all, and can't tell the differences between them. They can't find Syria on a map, wouldn't care to and distrust anyone who can. What they care about is immigration and all the Mexicans they think are stealing their jobs. They hate Muslims because of terrorism. Any discussion on those last two sentences is political correctness run amok, and they have no time for that. Only liberals can't find the simplest solution to any policy issue in less than 30 seconds. Build a wall, drop all the bombs and who cares about details because, America!
There's no breaking through to that. You can't educate, cajole, co-opt, or form alliances with know-nothings that view intelligence with mistrust. It is a coalition of racists, conspiracy theorists, and Republicans who feel betrayed because Congress hasn't arrested Barack Obama for treason. This is not an electorate to build the future on. But this is what the Republican party has spent the last 50 years creating (and microwaving on high since 2007) . For generations, it was required that any victor's campaign strategy would maximize their proportion of lower-middle class white voters prone to anger and outrage. It worked every time, until it didn't. One day over the last 10 years, this coalition ceased in its ability to elect the President every cycle. Now Trump has come along and turned the monster inward. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) the only power they have left is to destroy themselves. Trump thinks he can squeeze one last dying finale from them. He can't. It's over. But that won't stop them from following him off of a cliff and bringing the whole party crashing down to the bottom of the ravine.
How did it get this way? Why can't the Republican party stop him? It's because they created the environment his is thriving on. Josh Barro in Business Insider sums it up pretty perfectly here.
Disastrous candidates are supposed to be blocked by validating institutions. Policy experts explain that their proposals do not add up. The media covers embarrassing incidents from their past and present. Party leaders warn that they will be embarrassing or incompetent or unelectable.
The problem is that Republicans have purposefully torn down the validating institutions. They have convinced voters that the media cannot be trusted; they have gotten them used to ignoring inconvenient facts about policy; and they have abolished standards of discourse by allowing all complaints about offensiveness to be lumped into a box called "political correctness" and ignored.
Republicans waged war on these institutions for a reason. Facts about policy can be inconvenient — a reality-based approach would find, for example, that tax cuts increase the deficit and carbon emissions cause climate change. Acknowledging the validity of complaints about racism could require some awkward conversations with racist and quasi-racist voters in the Republican coalition.
Of course, we're now seeing the unintended consequence of the destruction of those institutions and the boundaries they impose around candidate acceptability: In doing so, Republicans created a hole that Donald Trump could fly his 757 through.
Is the press reporting that some of Trump's businesses disserved customers and lost money? Well, you can't trust liberal media institutions like Fox News. Is his tax cut irresponsibly large? Don't worry, Trump will make us so rich it won't matter. Should we be concerned about his rants against Mexicans, either because they are offensive or because they will turn off voters? That sounds like something Obama would worry about.
They don't have the power to stop him because they've intentionally eroded all the avenues that would provide access to stopping him. Trump is simply exploiting an environment they created that has permitted politicians and their supporters to ignore anything they don't want to hear. Everything unpleasant, like the polls leading up to the 2012 election, can be explained away as liberal or politically correct. What is really amazing about this is that after that election, when the bubble burst, instead of acknowledging that change was necessary, accepting it and making changes, Republicans and conservatives inflated another bubble again. Obama's re-election was explained away as a one-off that can't possibly be repeated. Trump is the cycle continuing.
2016 was going to present a monumental challenge to any Republican candidate. Demographics have shifted away from the traditional coalition they've relied on which was going to make it very difficult to win the White House. Never in history has there been a worse time to run for President by pitting old, scared and bitter white voters against Muslims, Mexicans, and college degrees. But, this is the path Trump has chosen. It is perplexing if you spend time thinking about why he decided to go in on a strategy with such a clear ceiling. Delusion should not be ruled out or, perhaps, this is all he has and it's gotten him this far, so why not keep going? Whatever the reason is, we should be grateful. It's not often that a vehicle this perfect arrives at such a crucial time.
538's David Wasserman succinctly explains the electoral shift that a normal Republican would be facing this year.
There's no question that recent demographic trends have aided Democrats enormously. In 1980, Ronald Reagan won 56 percent of all white voters and won election in a 44-state landslide. In 2012, GOP nominee Mitt Romney carried 59 percent of all white voters yet lost decisively. What happened? African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and other non-whites — all overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning groups — rose from 12 percent of voters in 1980 to 28 percent in 2012.
Yet analyses that focus only on race and ethnicity ignore an even more rapid demographic shift driving Democratic success: educational attainment. This is why we have split non-Hispanic white voters into two groups.
In both 2008 and 2012, Republicans' best group by far — of the five we examined — was white voters without college degrees. The GOP carried that group by 14 percentage points in 2008 and a whopping 26 points in 2012. However, these voters — who skew older and more rural — decline 3 percentage points every four years as a share of the overall electorate. In contrast, white degree-holders — who still lean Republican but are much likelier to support Democrats than whites without a degree — rise a percentage point every four years.
In other words, Democrats' coalition of non-white, young and well-educated voters continues to expand every election, while Republicans' coalition of white, older and less-educated voters keeps shrinking. It's no wonder that some pundits have suggested Democrats have an emerging "stranglehold on the Electoral College" because of favorable trends in states like Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and Virginia, right?
It's true that if every demographic group were to carry its 2012 levels of turnout and party support into 2016, Democrats' lead in the national popular vote would expand from 3.9 percentage points to 5.1 points based on population trends alone.
It should be noted, as Wasserman clearly points out, this does not ensure a win for the Democrats in November, but it does give them a decent structural advantage. The interactive website 270towin.com starts out giving the Democrats a 217 to 191 electoral vote advantage. I think it's safe to assume Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will vote for whoever the Democrat is and North Carolina will vote Republican, bringing the count to 247 to 206. This is where the campaign begins. From there, plenty of scenarios can play out, but the path is much easier for the Democrats. That is also before Trump and his gamble against the numbers. How does his strategy expand on the 2012 Mitt Romney map? How does Trump compete in Florida with the Democrats lead among Hispanics growing and he's polling at 19 percent with them? Keep in mind, George Bush won 40 percent of the Hispanic vote there in 2004 and Romney won 27 percent in 2012.
My whole point this far is that no matter how crazy it seems today, the Donald Trump campaign is doomed. November will bring a conclusively stunning defeat. That is good for America. While it will serve as a purge for some of his base, forcing them ever further into isolation, it should also awaken some of them to join the 21st Century, at least those who live long enough to vote in another election. It will also do the same for the Republican party. Trump's loss mean Republicans must recalibrate. They have to stop denying science, face the racists that exist in their party, and end their regressive economic policies that burden the poor and middle class with tax cuts for the wealthy. No the Democrats aren't perfect or even good, but they've attempted to work through these issues instead of pretending they do not exist or accuse the oppressed of being the oppressors.
Trump has done a great job at directing all that voter anger at foreigners, the media, and a Washington establishment inside the Republican primary. That's the place to do it if you get the chance. And yes, Trump voters do have a right to be angry because they've been tricked, lied to and abandoned before. But all Trump is doing is playing them for suckers one more time. He's not going to build a wall, everything he sells comes from China or Mexico and the selling point he focuses on the most is that he's a great deal maker. Who is he making deals with? China and Mexico? The politicians who've lied or abandoned voters before? Trump is not the savior of the American blue collar, low middle class. He is their death. Those who choose Trump are choosing to believe in his lie that he can resurrect the past. Trump's entire economic philosophy rejects that there can ever be new ideas or innovations that will lead to new economic expansion. He, like his supporters can only think in terms of the past. Factories make things, full stop. That period of American history is gone. A demagogue that tells you he'll bring it back while outsourcing jobs in every one of his own businesses is just a liar playing on his audiences fears, desperation and naivete. On election day, the Trump aura will vanish and turn back into a pumpkin, one week late for Halloween and thirty years late for a winning coalition.
Also of preeminent importance is the fact that the damage done by Trump will linger long into the future and damage everyone it touches. The entire party is paralyzed with fear, disdain and bewilderment over how to handle Donald Trump. Individuals are being forced to pick their choice of career suicide, endorse him or condemn him. Either way you lose. Forever. What does Chris Christie or Ben Carson's political future look like now? Do you think it resembles Sarah Palin's? Some are trying to split the difference by calling him un-presidential, imbalanced or even a mad man, but then say they'll still support him in the general election. To endorse Donald Trump, after labeling him a dictator-in-waiting in the primary, just because you've conditioned voters to see the other party as mortal enemies is an untenable position to hold. It is not sincere and even your own voters will see through it.
The 2016 Presidential election presents many clear distinctions no matter who the candidates are, but Trump winning the nomination heightens those distinctions exponentially. The people will get to decide whether or not to follow an empty, nonsensical platform from a vacant, unserious, egomaniacal third world 'strong' man, or someone else. I have faith voters will ultimately make the right decision and you should too. Voter data and trends point in that direction, in the face of Republican denial. Most of them are in too deep to pull up now and those who recognize the impending disaster have no viable alternative other than minimize the damage and begin the campaign against Hillary Clinton in 2020. It will definitely be a wild ride, but, rest assured, the outcome is pre-determined. Thanks for everything Donald Trump, America will be a much better place after you.


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Collegiate Cycling - Hosting a Race
USA Cycling is developing an extensive education process for race directors that will help you put on an event that is safe and enjoyable for competitors and spectators. In the meantime, we've outlined a few specific things to be aware of as a collegiate race director. Again, this is not meant to be an exhaustive guide to putting on a race, but rather a list of points often overlooked or asked about by collegiate teams when it comes to event organization and a collection of a few helpful tips with the collegiate race director in mind. You can also find resources and information for race directors here.
Hosting a race will devour hundreds of hours of your time, with very high stakes, so please take the extra few minutes to read this information thoroughly, as well as the information linked from this page.
- Contact your Conference Director
- Advance Planning
- Scheduling
- Write it Down!
- Reach Out
- Be Prepared to Pay
- Campus Crits and CX Races
- Making it Profitable
- Host Housing
- Conference Director Officiating
- Cancelling a Race
- Race Registration
- Points and Results
- Talk to Your School
- Co-Hosting with Another School
- Common Insurance Mistakes
- Hosting Collegiate National Championships
Contact your Conference Director: Getting in touch with your conference director is the first and most basic step toward hosting a race. He or she can help you with the process and let you know the steps to getting a spot on the conference calendar. Additionally, every conference does things a little bit differently, whether it's registration, results, fees, scheduling, or any other number of other small details, and your conference director is your best resource for making sure there aren't any surprises come race day. Because the last thing you'll need on race day is a surprise.
Advance Planning: This isn't actually specific to collegiate races at all, but is the most important key to success in organizing any bike race: plan as far in advance as humanly possible. If you procrastinate on a term paper, you can pull an all-nighter or ask for an extension, and life goes on. That's not the case for hosting a race, however, since you're not the only party involved in the process. You'll also be dealing extensively with local government, your school, USA Cycling, your conference, an army of volunteers, local residents and any number of other groups that will (unexpectedly) have a say in the process along the way. Most of these groups have deadlines that you must meet, sometimes as much as four months out from the race.
By six months before the event, you should have secured permits from local government (this can be city, county, and state, as well as other groups such as DOT, police, parks, and any number of other local groups). At least three months out (but preferably when you secure your local permits) you should have notified all residents, businesses, and landowners on or near the course. You should file your USA Cycling permit with a finished flyer, approved by your conference director, by two months out, as late fees start to go up at six weeks prior ($100 at 6 weeks, an additional $150 at 2 weeks) and it becomes more difficult to secure insurance for the event. Six to eight weeks out, you should have all your ducks in a row and be prepared to hold the event tomorrow, if necessary.
Not only will you be dealing with a multitude of organizations with their own deadlines, but the stakes are much higher than any other homework assignment you've had lately. Bike racing is inherently dangerous, but it is on the shoulders of the race director to make his or her event as safe as possible. When you do things at the last minute, it is guaranteed that something will be missed, and the chances increase exponentially that the race will not be as safe as it could be. A bike race that isn't 100% as safe as possible is simply unacceptable. So, plan early, and don't be afraid to over think every possible eventuality.
Scheduling: Continuing with the theme of advance planning, most conferences establish their season schedules at least one season in advance (so the road schedule is set during the mountain bike season, for example), but some conferences work up to a full year in advance. The lesson here is get in touch with your conference director as soon as you start to even think about considering possibly hosting a race maybe someday. Notice a theme so far?
Additionally, everybody else wants to host a race, too, but the collegiate season is inherently short. You'll have to convince not only your conference director but also your fellow team leaders that your race is worth a spot on the schedule. Be prepared to make a formal presentation at your conference's planning meeting with course details, steps taken to confirm that permits will be approved by local government, and as much information as possible that will demonstrate your preparedness and the race's guaranteed success. Your job as race director is to make the race you host the absolute best race on the calendar, and you need to be able to pitch that as far in advance as possible.
Write it Down! The hardest part of organizing a bike race is figuring out just what the heck you're doing in the first place. That's especially the case for knowing who to talk to at your school and in the local government. In addition to this, you want your race to become a "classic" on the conference calendar, one that isn't even questioned as a perennial mainstay of the season. To make that happen, and to save future race directors from your team the headaches of reinventing the wheel every year, leave behind a step-by-step guide to putting on your race. Include contact information, unexpected hurdles, hoops you had to jump through, reminders, tips, and lists of everything you did to make the race happen. The more information you provide, the more time you will save future race directors and the more likely that the race will get better year after year.
Even if you don't want to create a step-by-step guide, just keeping a binder of everything you did will be a huge help in the future. Every email, permit or license that you need should be copied into the binder. If you have time, attach a cover letter that indicates the date submitted and returned, as well as a brief statement of why you had to do and what you thought of the people you dealt with (if applicable). When it is all over, this process makes it way easier to compile a step-by-step and identify the pitfalls and the success of your organization. It can also provide future promoters with important information on the general timeliness of the people they are dealing with as well as any other helpful tips.
Reach Out: Along the same lines, if you don't have a guidebook from previous race directors, there is still a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips that can make your life a lot easier as you put together your race. The cycling world is a small one, and as a result people are typically pretty friendly, passionate, and helpful (at least when you're not racing against them). Here are a few people and organizations that have done this all before, and will be happy to help:
- Experienced race directors in your area: Get in touch with your Local Association or Regional Coordinator and ask if they can help you find someone in your area that might serve as a mentor for the whole process. They'll know what it takes to get things done in your area, and will more than likely have plenty of experience to draw from when it comes to organizing races. Just having someone in the background that has done this before and can answer questions now and then will be a huge help.
- Previous race directors from your team: Pick up the phone or shoot an email to alumni from your team that were involved in your team's race in the past. They'll be happy to hear from current riders and can provide a wealth of event- and school-specific information that you can't get anywhere else.
- Other race directors in your conference: Don't be afraid to send an email to other race directors in your conference. Some conferences may even have a Race Director email list. This can be helpful as there may be previous discussion of the exact issues you are facing, which will save you time reinventing the wheel.
- In addition to these individuals and your conference director, always feel free to get in touch directly with USA Cycling for help and information:
- USAC Membership Coordinators can help you through the USAC permitting process online and answer questions about payment, USAC Online Registration, and insurance paperwork.
- USAC Regional Coordinators are located throughout the country and can help with regional or local questions, as well as assigning mountain bike officials.
- Local Associations deal primarily with road, track, and cyclocross events, and coordinate the non-collegiate race calendar, assign officials, and help coordinate permits and upgrades. They're a great resource to get in touch with and communicate with on a regular basis.
Be Prepared to Pay: University bureaucracy is legendary, especially when it comes to money. Some teams have their own bank accounts and can pay out and in as they please, but others must request checks from their school for any reimbursements or payments. In addition to all the costs of the event that are payable before or after the event (USAC permit fee, police, etc), there will be several expenses you will be required to pay out once all the racing is done on the day of the event. This will require some planning ahead, often some W9 procurement from the officials, and a bit of research into what your school requires to make this happen. This doesn't have to be a big deal if you do your work ahead of time, but too often collegiate race directors become delinquent on post-event payment because they didn't talk to their school business office ahead of time.
The day of the event you will be required to pay:
- Your race officials for their hard work, travel, and expenses: Officials' fees vary in some regions, so check with your officials and Local Association or Regional Coordinator ahead of time, but minimum rates and other expense guidelines for officials are listed here.
- USA Cycling for the per rider per day insurance surcharge: Most of the time the officials will collect this and send it in to USAC with some other post-event paperwork you will be required to fill out at the end of the day.
Other expenses that vary by region and how you organize your race (again, just ask the appropriate people in advance, and they'll help you figure things out):
- Your conference for a per rider surcharge: Most conferences collect a surcharge to cover your conference director's travel, awards, or other expenses. Just ask your conference director if that will be collected the same day and how s/he wants to work that.
- Your results service (sometimes the same as the conference surcharge): This may be something that can be paid by check later, but depending on the service and the setup, it may also be something that you need to pay the same day, too. Same goes for expenses like police, EMT/medical, etc. Just ask them in advance when payment will be due.
- Your Local Association may collect a surcharge if you host non-collegiate categories in conjunction with your race: This will be paid to your official along with the USAC insurance surcharge. This usually isn't collected for collegiate-only events, but it never hurts to ask. Additionally, some Local Associations ask that all post event paperwork get sent to them first, and then they send it in to USA Cycling, so check on both of these things in advance.
- Cash payouts for non-collegiate categories: If you host non-collegiate categories and list a prize purse, those racers don't like to leave the race without cold, hard cash. A W9 does not replace cash.
If it looks like it will be impossible to pay these expenses the same day, which is not uncommon given many schools' requirements for POs and invoices, reach out to the officials assigned to your event, as well as USA Cycling, and let them know what will be required to pay everyone in a punctual manner as soon as possible. Usually officials are happy to work with you to accommodate your restrictions and make things happen, as long as lines of communication are opened well in advance and you do everything you can to get people paid as soon as practical.
Campus Crits and CX Races: While it sometimes is more complicated than it should or could be, hosting a race right on campus has a number of added benefits for you and your team. First, it can eliminate or reduce the number of parties you need to deal with to make the race happen if the school owns the roads or property the race will take place on. When out on open roads, you're typically dealing with city and county government, state DOT, police and sheriff's offices, and don't even think about crossing into multiple municipalities or counties! Obviously that's unavoidable for road races, but for criteriuims on campus, you can sometimes get away with just working with your school. Those roads are also a lot cheaper and easier to shut down without disrupting major traffic flow, especially if you have campus security and school-owned barricades that you can take advantage of.
On top of this, you get the added bonus of raising your team's profile on campus (and putting the whole sport of cycling in the minds of a bunch of sleepy-eyed college students on a Saturday or Sunday morning), which can be a great recruitment tool for new riders and a development piece so your team is on the minds of those with the influence and money on campus. This way, when you go to ask your school president for additional funding next year, s/he doesn't ask, "We have a cycling team?" but rather says "I had a great time at the race you hosted last year – sure, here's a barrel of cash!" You can also turn the event into a festival by getting other campus clubs involved and drawing a crowd out to spectate if the weather's nice.
Many schools do, however, have a provision in their rules for sporting activities that any revenue made on campus must be deposited into a school account, so be sure to look into this ahead of time, as well.
Making it Profitable: A mainstay of collegiate cycling is its inexpensive nature. A license is a third of the cost of a standard Road/MTB license, as is a club membership (and free the first year), national championship entry fees are discounted, and, most importantly, regular race entry fees are orders of magnitude cheaper than your typical non-collegiate race. Which is all great news for the average collegiate racer or team, but tough to swallow when it comes time to put on an event. Costs for hosting a race (particularly a road race, although lift-service for gravity events at mountain bike races add up quickly, too) are often a lot higher than you might expect. Cutting corners so it's a bit of a bare bones set-up is fine, and how most collegiate events are run, but corners should NEVER be cut when it comes to safety. As mentioned earlier, your job is to put on a safe bike race, first and foremost. Whether you splurged for a finish truss or chip timing is of no matter in comparison to whether you do everything you can to make the race safe for everyone (racers, staff, volunteers, and spectators alike).
All this being said, there are things you can do as a collegiate race director to help you turn a profit on your race despite rock bottom entry fees:
- Appeal to your school for funding: Not just whoever supplies your standard budget, either (typically club sports or campus activities/student affairs), but also student government, the office of the dean, student life, the office of the school president, and admissions. Talk to these offices, and even if they can't give you money, they might point you to people who could. Pitch the event as a development tool for the school and an opportunity for exposure, and there's bound to be some cash out there that will flow your way with some work.
- Include non-collegiate categories: Some conferences prefer to keep events collegiate-only, and some conference also have so many categories that there is simply no time in the day for non-collegiate categories, but if there's time and it's alright with your conference director, this is a great money-making opportunity. The typical bike racer is affluent and happy to give back to the development side of the sport (that's you!), so don't be afraid to charge more typical entry fees that are sometimes double or triple what a collegiate rider pays. Also give entrants the opportunity to donate to your program when they register (often an option through online registration systems such as USA Cycling's Online Registration http://www.usacycling.org/registration/index.php) and you can pull in some additional cash that way, too.When offering both collegiate and non-collegiate categories, simply check the "Collegiate add-on" box on the first page of the online permit in addition to the discipline.
- Become an official: If you or one of your teammates is willing to skip racing the day of your event, becoming an official is a great way to save money on your event. It's also something to do during the summer months to make some extra cash, and it will teach you a TON about the sport of bike racing that you had no idea you didn't know. You can take a clinic through your local association or regional coordinator and become licensed for just $35.
- Sell extras: These days you can get custom t-shirts made for as little as $2-$3/piece if you do your research and shop around, and everybody loves event t-shirts. You can also look into custom cycling socks for the event, or other goodies such as tote bags. You can also sell these ahead of time through many online registration services.
- Sell food: While you don't want to be the one making or selling the food (pesky health codes…), you can sell the rights to local vendors. For a fee that you could charge them, the local sandwich shop could either bring a cart or truck to the event, or include a coupon on the race flyer. Just pitch it as an opportunity for them to be THE food vendor for hundreds of starving college kids that will have just finished exercising. Win for them, win for you. (If they want to sell food on campus, though, you'll need to check with the school first. They would also not be covered under USAC's event insurance.)
- Save money on food for officials and volunteers: You'll need to feed all your officials and volunteers, and if you can find a local sandwich or pizza place that would be willing to comp' you those lunches (maybe in exchange for the right to sell food on site as mentioned above), that's money saved and money made.
Host Housing: Many conferences require that, as a race director, you provide as many beds, floor spots, and couches as possible or is requested by visiting racers. Even if your conference doesn't require it, it's still a good idea and can start a trend, so hopefully next time you travel to a collegiate race you'll have the chance to sleep somewhere for free without paying for a hotel. Get in touch with your conference director or conference host housing coordinator, and send an email out in advance of your event asking how many people would like to take advantage of host housing. You can then take that count and appeal to teammates, local friends and family, and especially the local bike racing community (talk to bike shops and local non-collegiate teams and you're bound to find some friendly cyclists with a guest room, floor space, or available couch) to find space for your competitors. Additionally, in return for the free lodging, you can always ask that riders volunteer as a course marshal, too (just be sure that all event volunteers sign a volunteer waiver). Again, even if your conference doesn't require you to provide host housing, this is something that really sets collegiate cycling apart, and contributes to the wonderful atmosphere we all love about collegiate racing. Not to mention that it's just the right thing to do!
Conference Director Officiating: Many conference directors officiate at collegiate races, often serving as the chief referee. Be sure to stay in constant contact with your conference director, USA Cycling, and your Local Association (where applicable) to make sure everybody is on the same page as to whether you need an official assigned to your event. If you need a site visit before the event to ensure course safety, sometimes your conference director can provide this service, as well. Just stay in touch with everybody, and open those lines of communication early!
Cancelling a Race: Don't do it. Just don't. Don't even think about it. Seriously, though, cancelling a race because you couldn't get your act together in time and didn't plan far enough ahead is never acceptable. You'd be letting your entire conference down (remember that everybody is counting on your race so they can qualify for Nationals, as well as the chance to earn conference omnium points), and the collegiate season doesn't have the length or flexibility to allow for rescheduling of events later in the year. Obviously, there are weather circumstances that are unavoidable, and few people can blame you for acts of god, especially during the late winter and springtime for road events. But even things like uncooperative local governments or last minute road construction and closure are rarely grounds for cancellation if you plan far enough in advance and have back-up plans for road courses set to go just in case. A contingency plan should be part of your original plan, put in place a year in advance. At the very minimum, cancelling a race will cost you a $50 fee, with other conference-by-conference consequences.
Race Registration: Some conferences offer their own pre-registration services, so get in touch with your conference director to see what the standard procedure is. If your conference doesn't do this, online registration is always very helpful to the race director. The only issue with online registration is that collegiate riders often don't know whether they're racing Saturday until they get their homework assignments on Friday, so online pre-registration is sometimes tough to swing without some sort of incentive (usually in the form of a discount), especially given the varying methods of payment that teams use. But it's always worth making that available if possible.
For on-site registration, don't forget to have fully trained, friendly volunteers (and preferably an official) working the registration table. Rule number one: no one should ever be allowed to enter a bike race without presenting a valid license and signing a waiver. Your volunteers will need to know in advance what to look for on each license (expiration date, name and team info, and categories) and on the waiver (legible contact information, emergency contact, current age by signature, minors need a parent signature, etc). Don't forget that you can't enter a collegiate bike race without a collegiate license, and one-day licenses are not acceptable for category B or higher races in most conferences. Also, don't forget to buy pens, safety pins, print out plenty of waivers, and discuss with your conference director in advance who will be in charge of assigning bib numbers (and if that's something you need to buy).
Points and Results: Be sure you know in advance who will be processing results. Will you need to hire a results company to work with officials, or will your conference director be providing those services? Whoever it is, make sure your conference director or whoever is tabulating points is on the same page with whoever is providing results, and he or she gets those results in a timely fashion for omnium calculations.
Talk to Your School: Especially when it comes to insurance, in particular for on-campus races, your school needs to be in the loop so they don't find out about the race two days before it starts and put the brakes on. USA Cycling provides very thorough, comprehensive liability insurance with the ability to add on additional parties to the list of insured (see common insurance mistakes, below), so it shouldn't be an issue if lines of communication are opened with your school (usually a risk management official will be involved – ask your club sports director or whomever is in charge of your program) early on in the process.
Additionally, since you are the race director, it is your responsibility to sign the permit contract with USA Cycling as part of permitting the event. Some schools don't like students signing contracts, thinking that the student is blindly signing in the name of the school, but the permit contract is actually an agreement between the race director and USA Cycling, saying that you will put on a safe event (again, your responsibility). In other words, just be sure to talk about these things ahead of time with all concerned parties to make sure there are no last minute surprises. Yet another reason to start the permit process with both USA Cycling and your local government several months in advance.
Co-Hosting with Another School: To save costs and energy, as well as to ensure that as many schools get to host a race as possible, two neighboring teams can often share host duties for a weekend. You can divide the weekend's events so that one school hosts Saturday's races and another organizes Sunday's (under separate USAC permits), or both schools can co-host all the events (attaching multiple teams to each permit), allowing you to divide duties over the course of the whole weekend. However it's done, sharing host duties with another school can help you get onto the calendar, especially if it's your first year hosting a race, and can ensure that the event goes a little bit more smoothly. Just be sure to approach the other school well before the conference scheduling meeting occurs, and always arrange the finer details (especially concerning money) well in advance, such as whether you will be able to offer a discount to riders entering all events, even those hosted by the other school, and how and when transactions between the schools will take place.
Common Insurance Mistakes*: Organizing a bike race is an overwhelming process at times, and it can expose you to a lot of risk if you're not careful and follow the right steps. For this reason, one of the primary reasons you sanction your race with USA Cycling is so that you are covered under our liability insurance. Detailed information on all our standard insurance programs are available here. In particular, check out the event insurance article - this document is a MUST READ for all race directors!
Most collegiate race directors are new to this process, and it's probably your first time dealing with million-dollar liability insurance policies, so here are a few things that collegiate cyclists often don't know or commonly miss along the way:
- Additional Insured: Oftentimes, venues or other such organizations involved in the race request a certificate of insurance, which you will be provided if you name these organizations in your list of Additional Insured. This covers these other groups in the event that someone sues them as a result of the event. The first five additional certificates are free, and each additional certificate thereafter is $5.00. It is always a good idea to have your school listed as one of them.
- Auto/moto Insurance: If you use vehicles in your race, whether in the form of a pace car, support vehicle, official's car, or motorcycle referee, those vehicles and their drivers are not covered by the event insurance unless you purchase additional coverage at least seven business days in advance. "It's okay, I've got car insurance," you might say. Yes, but your car insurance policy probably has an exclusion in it saying that any racing event (even bike racing) is not covered. Often times at collegiate events, everybody and their brother jumps into cars to help out with driving duties, but it's critical for this coverage that you know in advance who will be driving the cars, so organize your volunteer drivers well in advance! Otherwise you're all exposed to significant risk. Here's a very helpful webinar on auto/moto coverage.
- Volunteer Waivers: All volunteers must sign a waiver, just like race participants (even if they're racing, too, they still need to sign the volunteer waiver, as well) before helping out at the race. If they do not, you, as the race director have a higher exposure to a lawsuit should the volunteer get hurt performing his or her duties. This waiver is available here, although a copy is also sent to you in your packet of forms before the event, along with copies of other waivers you will need that day. Make lots of copies!
- The 10 Year Rule: This is especially difficult given that collegiate team leaders and race directors graduate just a few years after hosting a race, but the event insurance is rendered null and void if you don't hang on to every waiver for 10 years after the event. If someone decides to sue you because they were hurt in your event nine years ago (don't laugh – this has happened!), you can't defend yourself without that rider's waiver, and the insurance won't protect you either. When you graduate, your parting gift to your successor as team race director should be a set of boxes chock full of waivers from each event held in the last ten years. Just consider it part of your job as club officer.
Hosting Collegiate National Championships: It used to be that collegiate national championships were organized and hosted by collegiate teams, just like conference races. But because of the incredible cost and amount of responsibility on the shoulders of a national championship race director, it has worked out much better in recent years for USA Cycling to sign a contract directly with a venue (mountain bike and track) or city convention and visitors' bureau (road). The venue or city then turns to a professional race director to organize a Local Organizing Committee (LOC), which will typically include or be in contact with a host school. The duties of the host school are typically to supply volunteers and assist with ancillary events the weekend of the race, among other things detailed in the bid packet for the event. USA Cycling accepts bids typically one to three years in advance of an event (see www.usacycling.org/bids for current information).
So given that, what can a collegiate cycling team do? Well, we're always trying to reach more cities, and it's certainly in your team's best interest to have the event in your neck of the woods (publicity as the host team, money saved in transportation, home court advantage, etc), so approach cities and venues in your area with the idea. All you have to do is make the pitch and they'll do all the hard work of putting together the bid and organizing the event itself.
*This information only summarizes the insurance policies mentioned and is just an overview. Coverage is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy(ies). Should a discrepancy occur between this synopsis of coverage and the actual terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy(ies), the policy(ies) terms, conditions and exclusion will prevail.
This Article Updated December 15, 2015 @ 06:05 PM For more information contact:


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(Redirected from Mount Taras)
|Mount Taras
|Physical Description
|Westernmost peak between Nevrast and West Beleriand
|Belongs to
|Ered Wethrin
|Tall, dark, cloud-capped mountain
|General Information
|Visit of Tuor
Mount Taras was a tall mountain at the western end of a line of hills that were outliers of the Ered Wethrin. It towered over a green cape between Nevrast and West Beleriand on the shores of Belegaer.[1] Below its slopes Turgon built his halls of Vinyamar when he first returned to Middle-earth. Long after Turgon had deserted Nevrast for Gondolin, Tuor came there and spoke with Ulmo.[2]


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Fort Lauderdale Real Estate at Coral Isles
You'll find the exquisite homes of Coral Isles just off Las Olas Boulevard, in eastern Fort Lauderdale. These elite estate homes for sale in Fort Lauderdale all boast Intracoastal Waterway front property, but the beach is mere steps away to the east for those residents who venture away from the plush oasis that is their dream home in Coral Isles.
Luxury Living in Coral Isles
Every home in this coveted community commands its own special charm, but you can expect a refined level of opulence and sophistication in any of the prestigious addresses, from Coral Way to San Marco Drive, to Lido Drive. Soaring pillars, elegantly gated driveways, lush palm-lined gardens, glittering pools and of course, sought after docks on the canal are just the start of the grandeur in store for you at Coral Isles. From wine cellars to handsomely appointed libraries, dazzling salons, and marble staircases, these estates will impress even the most discerning home buyer.
Coral Isles Lifestyle
Las Olas Boulevard is one of the premier entertainment, shopping and dining districts of Fort Lauderdale. A colorful street of vibrant storefronts, swank music lounges, and internationally renowned restaurants, Las Olas will be your hub for whatever chic new trend, hip young quartet or trendy cuisine you could hope to partake in.
Our Mission
It takes a vision to know what select clients want in their dream home. Premier Estate Properties offers the highest level of customized service, only exceeded by an unsurpassed level of performance and dedication to selecting the perfectly matched luxury real estate in Florida for each client.
We extend to you our firm's principles of reliability, integrity, personal attention as well as breakthrough innovations. It is this unique combination of traditional ideas and dynamic new ideas that set Premier Estate Properties apart.


text: Not surprisingly, sodium hyaluronate has become popular with manufacturers of cosmetics and anti-aging skin care products. Its ability to penetrate skin and hold onto water makes it a popular ingredient in moisturizers, eye creams, facial cleansers, skin repair creams and other anti-aging skin care products. We discover more about this special ingredient and introduce some amazing products that contain it.


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USN-1540-1: NSS vulnerability
16 August 2012
nss vulnerability
A security issue affects these releases of Ubuntu and its derivatives:
- Ubuntu 11.10
- Ubuntu 11.04
- Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
NSS could be made to crash if it opened a specially crafted certificate.
Software Description
- nss - Network Security Service library
Kaspar Brand discovered a vulnerability in how the Network Security Services (NSS) ASN.1 decoder handles zero length items. If the user were tricked into opening a specially crafted certificate, an attacker could possibly exploit this to cause a denial of service via application crash.
Update instructions
The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:
- Ubuntu 11.10
- libnss3-1d - 3.12.9+ckbi-1.82-0ubuntu6.1
- Ubuntu 11.04
- libnss3-1d - 3.12.9+ckbi-1.82-0ubuntu2.2
- Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
- libnss3-1d - 3.12.9+ckbi-1.82-0ubuntu0.10.04.4
To update your system, please follow these instructions: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Security/Upgrades.
After a standard system update you need to restart any applications that use NSS, such as Evolution, to make all the necessary changes.


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The rite gives three options for presenting the candidates for baptism. With eminent Roman pragmatism, and choices and some of the rubrics are as follows:
219. …
A When Baptism Is Celebrated Immediately at the Baptismal Font
The celebrant accompanied by the assisting ministers goes directly to the font. An assisting deacon or other minister calls the candidates forward and their godparents present them. Then the candidates and the godparents take their place around the font in such a way as not to block the view of the congregation. The invitation to prayer (RCIA 220) and the Litany of the Saints (RCIA 221) follow.
[If there are a great many candidates, they and their godparents simply take their place around the font during the singing of the Litany of the Saints.]
In practice, the catechumenate director ("another" minister) calls the candidates. It would seem the rite presupposes the activity of the deacon in the catechumenate, but it does provide for the situation when the deacon isn't active.
In option B–which I've used more often–the same prescriptions about calling and presenting are given. Note two things: the Litany of the Saints becomes the processional music, and will even be jumped in the order of the rite, and that Roman practicality suggests the candidates and godparents just join the procession if there are huge numbers.
B When Baptism Is Celebrated after a Procession to the Font
… In this case an assisting deacon … godparents present them.
[If there are a great many candidates, they and their godparents simply take their place in the procession.]
The procession is formed in this order: a minister carries the Easter candle at the head of the procession (unless, outside the Easter Vigil, it already rests at the baptismal font), the candidates with their godparents come next, then the celebrant with the assisting ministers. The Litany of the Saints (RCIA 221) is sung during the procession. … The invitation to prayer (RCIA 220) precedes the blessing of the water.
C When Baptism is Celebrated in the Sanctuary …
The instructions for option C parallel what was given in A: who calls the candidates forward and who presents them, not to block the view of the assembly, the invitation to prayer and Litany follow in that order.
It is curious that the procession to the font isn't listed as the "A" choice. It would be my first choice, unless the church architecture was an absolute obstacle. After the homily, the choreography would go like this:
– Candidates invited forward
– Godparents present/escort them
– Litany of the Saints sung during the procession
– People surround the font and the rite continues with the invitation to prayer and blessing of water, which we'll cover in the next post.


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A community meeting has been scheduled at 6 p.m. Nov. 29 at Bluffton High School auditorium to present information to parents, educators and the public - and to get their feedback - about future student assignments in the rapidly growing Bluffton area.
The focus of the meeting will be the increasing enrollment at Bluffton's two middle schools that is prompting discussions about possible changes to the grade structure at the middle schools and the high school.
Board of Education members, district and school officials will attend the meeting.
Sixth- and seventh-graders in the Bluffton area currently attend Bluffton Middle School, while eighth- and ninth-graders attend H.E. McCracken Middle School. That system is no longer workable because of overcrowding at both schools, district officials said, and enrollment is projected to increase further. Acting Superintendent Jackie Rosswurm said there is no room to expand the two middle school buildings and no room at either campus to add portable classrooms.
The current system was introduced two years ago to address overcrowding at Bluffton High School, and converting to a sixth- through eighth-grade structure at both middle schools would mean additional students, and more portable classrooms, at the high school.
The Board of Education voted to create a community committee to research short-term and long-term solutions that address growing enrollments in Bluffton. The Board said the committee should report its findings in March.


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Lumpen Partner Produces Maker's Issue
Lumpen created the "Makers" edition of the magazine and focuses on the work of some innovative and hard working local small manufacturers, artists and artisans.
The issue features interviews with: Angela Venarchik, Johnny Wator (Daredevil Pedals), Julie Ghatan, Doug Kaplan & Max Allison of Hausu Mountain, Kelsey Dalton & Andrew McClellan of Heart & Bone Signs, Dusan Katić of Katić Breads, Coyote DeGroot of Labrabbit Optics, Dave Rand of Local Foods, John Taylor Wallace & Emily Moorhead of Metal Magic Interiors, Nancy Klehm of The Ground Rules, Pablo Ramirez of Pilsen Outpost, Jes Skolnik of Pure Joy, Dan Salls of The Salsa Truck, Shirley Kienitz & Jenny Stadler Wolfbait & B-Girls, Marie Akerman of Working Bikes and Blake Sloane formerly of Rebuilding Exchange.
Download the issue here: #123 : The Makers Issue and learn more about local small manufacturer and businesses in Chicago land.Read more →


text: The NINO® Original African Style Rope Tuned Wood Djembes are carved from one solid piece of plantation grown Mahogany Wood. These high quality instruments are crafted with great attention to detail and provide an outstanding sound. The complex rope tuning system guarantees an ideal and long lasting tuning of the instrument without the use of any metal or sharp edges. Due to the small size and light weight, they are the perfect drums for young children.


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Authorities are probing what caused three loaded coal cars to derail in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Standard-Speaker said the three moving railroad cars went off the tracks in Hazle Township around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Fire Chief Scott Kostician said each Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad car was lugging about 112 tons of coal, so approximately 336 tons were dumped in the derailment.
Some of the fallen coal and the cars landed on fresh snow along the side of the tracks and a set of pine trees, causing them to lean.
Local officials expect that it could take several days before the rail cars are moved and the area is cleaned up.
There have been no reported injuries or damage to private property.


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Glenvale Cottage
Near Achill Island, County Mayo
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The Holiday Cottage
County Mayo
County Mayo is located in the North West of Ireland along the Atlantic coast. It is a region of green fields and hills and with water crossing the land it is a great location for those who wish to go walking, angling or golfing. It is a region of peace and serenity with a stress-free holiday doing what you enjoy surrounded by the mythical land that has inspired so many. The weather in the region has been known to be unpredictable however it does have four distinct seasons making it a little easier than other parts of Ireland to predict.
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Just arrived: Reversible Goosebumps children's bed linen!
SO MUCH FUN and save 10% on our whole range with our introductory specials... This super cool collection is the debut of Melbourne-based label Goosebumps, whose founder, Inga, we were fortunate to meet in person last month. Her twin 3 year old boys are the wild things playing on the Jungle bedding pictured below. "It's all about breaking the rules, mixing and switching pieces to create the perfect little room for your little monkey's."
Shop Now >> https://www.indie.com.au/shopping/label/goosebumps
Mix and match quilt covers, pillowcases and sheets with mad animal prints and gorgeous, vibrant colours. Since all Goosebumps quilt covers and pillowcases are reversible, you can have a multitude of looks even from a single set. The punchy colour palette used throughout looks great against the plain fitted and flat sheets which are available in mint or grey. Our Mr 4 chose for himself the Roar quilt cover and pillowcase along with mint sheets. (We were delighted since we'd secretly already chosen Roar for him!)
You might be surprised to learn that the Goosebumps range of quilt covers comes in both Single Bed and Double Bed sizes! This makes it all the more versatile, literally covering kids who sleep in a king single - as well as little bubs like ours who will soon graduate from a cot into their very own double bed. (I must admit too, that if I still had my double rather than our current queen bed, I'd be sleeping under that Jungle print!) With unisex prints, you can also mix and match prints between your little boys and girls.
We fell in love with Goosebump's individual take on the "animal print". I'm such an animal person and this collection was a must-have for our online store :)
The smallest of the small aren't left out either. Goosebumps make cot sheets too which are sold individually, so if you use sleeping bags, you need only purchase the fitted sheet. The leopard print design is available in four colourways for babies.
GIVEAWAY: We are also offering a giveaway for a single quilt cover and pillowcase of the winner's choice through the brand new Australian design blog, We Are Scout. Rebecca Lowrey Boyd (of Wee Birdy) and Lisa Tilse (of The Red Thread) have collaborated to launch the beautiful and inspirational We Are Scout, and celebrated with a first week of giveaways! The indie art & design giveaway is open until midnight tomorrow (17.3.2015), and you can enter here.
Indie art & design is the digital baby of graphic design duo Carolyn & Martin (who are now also mum & dad to adorable Liam and Camille). Since 2006, we have showcased the work of Australian independent artists & designers on our blog, and we stock a large variety of beautiful and unique products in our online store.
We take a great deal of care with your orders, and have many return customers who love our range and service. We specialise in art and illustration (now including the work of the talented Amy Borrell and Dan Adams), and unique handmade pieces such as porcelain jewellery and objects by Irene Grishin Selzer of Iggy and Lou Lou... We have aso recently expanded our range of clever and thoughtful kids' products - from the ever-popular B&W Baby Mobile to exquisite clothing by Knuffle Kid, and delightful soft books and toys from Growing World.
indie art & design is a web site dedicated to promoting independent designers, artists and labels from Australia.
The blog showcases Australian products from all over, boutiques that stock them and indie related exhibitions and events.
The indie store stocks some of our favourite things from a wide range of Australian indies. We're ready to take your order!