text:
San Leandro Tech Campus, Phase 1
San Leandro, California | commercial development, interiors & workplace, technology & corporate
San Leandro, California | commercial development, interiors & workplace, technology & corporate
Beyond Truth is Beauty stands the 135,000-sf Phase 1 building of a 5-building master planned hub of smart building technology. A project by Westlake Urban Developers, in partnership with OSIsoft, the state-of-the-art 100 gigabits per second San Leandro Tech Campus buildings will not only embrace the city's history, but celebrate it's current shift to the promising Bay Area technology place.
Epitomizing the notion of a transit-oriented campus, the six-story OSIsoft Global Headquarters, and private/public parking garage, not only faces the San Leandro BART Station with a pedestrian public paseo crossing the site for access to BART. It also boasts both exterior bike parking and interior bike storage. The campus location prioritizes acoustics as a primary driver of design for the current and future buildings, resulting in innovative solutions to manage decibel levels from Amtrak horns and BART brakes. Other external technologies include the Neolith façade and thicker laminated View Glass to support limiting heat gain and reduce the HVAC system loads.
OSIsoft's interior encourages knowledge sharing and engagement by focusing on collaboration, concentration, flexibility, and technology. The ecosystem of meeting spaces and carefully sized open office neighborhoods feature access to views, highlighted by open ceilings and sound dampening clouds that also bounce light indirectly into the workspaces. At its entry, an exterior-interior wood armature leads through the tailored lobby to numerous first-floor common spaces including a 50 seat café. The multifunctional, expandable 30 person training room opens to the café's picnic tables, booths, indoor-outdoor seating, and coffee bar. In the neighboring Executive Briefing Center, conference rooms, lounge spaces, phone rooms, casual collaboration areas, a break room, and two fully equipped 18-seat computer training centers complete the robust selection of business amenities for employees and guests.
For the building's executive floor, the client favored a uniquely egalitarian approach – the center of the building – to reinforce the understanding of accessibility. OSIsoft also opted for open executive offices to nurture the culture of serendipitous communication among the company's leaders.
Groundbreaking for SLTC Phase 2 took place on May 25, 2017.
Scope included one 6-story warm core-shell office building, one 6-level parking garage, associated site improvements, and master planning for phase 2 and phase 3 (future office buildings).
Energy efficiency measures include electrochromic glass, thermally broken window frames and continuous, uninterrupted 3" rigid insulation on interior side of walls (typical insulation elsewhere) resulting in 18% better energy performance than code minimum.
Other sustainable building measures include high-efficiency toilets (1.28 gpf) and urinals (0.125 gpf), auto-sensor faucets, showers and changing rooms. Also LED lighting throughout interior and exterior areas of the site and garage along with FSC-certified wood, permeable pavers, bioswales on site for water retention and infiltration, drought-tolerant plant material, and EV parking. The site is also adjacent to the San Leandro BART station providing great public transportation access.
Project Architect
Designer - Architecture
Designer / Job Captain - Architecture
Designer - Interiors
Project Manager
Job Captain - Interiors


text:
There's a lot of talk in the news and government about the economy of course – employment and credit seem to be tanking, retail is suffering, and the main three car manufacturers in the US are begging for money from Congress. President-elect Obama had his weekly address over the weekend, and is talking about a huge stimulus package which would help America with education and infrastructure, also creating about 2.5 million jobs, if it goes the right way. However I think he's kind of missing the point, and here's my solution.
It starts with the fact that Emma is a bit addicted to the TV show What Not To Wear, where people with terrible fashion sense, or who are just stuck in a clothing/hairstyle rut, are given an intervention, shown how to choose clothing which flatters them, and styled to help them look and feel better about themselves. In almost all cases they say that they can't believe how good they feel, and are amazed by the results. And that's exactly what America needs – a new, better looking, more positive outlook where they can literally and metaphorically get rid of the old wardrobe and bad hair, and learn to be fabulous again.
So my stimulus package would be very much along the lines of What Not To Wear: $5000 per person to spend on a new wardrobe, as long as it is under the supervision of trained stylists, followed by a hair re-style (and makeup for the ladies). This would clearly help the economy, but would also get everyone looking and feeling much better, which would add pep to the step and make everyone feel much more likely to go out shopping, to see and be seen.
Case solved. You're welcome.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
Chapter 64 – Cultivation
"True Primordial Record?" The little guy was amazed, as this name sounded completely out of the ordinary. In the past, it was wrapped in light as it fell together with the Willow Deity, so its origins must have been heaven shocking.
The fist-sized Hairy Ball was squeaking non-stop, grabbing its ears and scratching its cheeks. It pounced into the little guy's hands liked a little golden koala and embraced the sparkling white bone. No matter what anyone said, it wouldn't let go. Its actions suggested that this belonged to him, and that no one could take it away from him!
"Please advise me Willow Deity, how does one cultivate the True Primordial Record?" asked the chief in the little guy's place, since this related to his future.
"To comprehend the True Primordial Record requires the most solid foundation. From a young age within the Blood Transforming Realm, you must be like the child of a heaven rank Archaic Vicious Beast. Your flesh alone must be able to lift a hundred thousand jin of divine metal, and attain a willpower that is even tougher than steel; only after possessing these strengths would you then be able to!" replied the willow tree, and its words made the chief's heart shudder.
This was just too difficult, how could a child accomplish this? Even an adult expert couldn't do this. Without the activation of the Bone Text's powers, how many people's flesh could be that powerful?
"I will do my best, and accomplish this in the shortest time possible." The little guy conscientiously nodded and emitted a determined gaze.
From that day forth, Shi Hao began his bitter cultivation, and would sometimes obtain suggestions from the willow tree. He earnestly refined his flesh and strengthened his bones.
The earth trembled. Smoke and dust filled the air.
"Holy shit! What is the little guy doing? He lifted the huge Dragon Horned Elephant and ran out from within the mountains?!"
Early morning, a group of child were dumbstruck. If they didn't pay close attention, they might have though a huge beast was charging towards Stone Village. After they looked carefully, however, they found that it was lifted off the ground and was endlessly struggling.
Underneath the Dragon Horned Elephant, there was a little fellow. He raised the huge body of the Dragon Horned Elephant with its four feet facing towards the sky as he rushed towards Stone Village, and each step he took greatly trembled the earth.
A Dragon Horned Elephant was extremely huge. Every one of them weighed over several tens of thousands jin. Its entire body was covered in dense scales, and with a pair of huge dragon horns on its head, it was incredibly vicious.
However right now, the little guy made one of them yield and carried it back just like this. He swiftly ran over and made a group of precious birds and weird beasts who were drinking by the beautiful lake extremely shocked. They raised their head and gazed incomprehensibly.
The children were all practicing by the shore of the clear, dark blue lake, but they all stopped down. They were shocked yet excited since this was too astonishing. This wasn't something that was dragged back after killing, but a still alive Dragon Horned Elephant that weighed over several tens of thousands of jin. Carrying it while running back really made everyone speechless.
With a hong sound, the little guy threw the Dragon Horned Elephant at the village entrance. A group of able-bodied men who heard the news immediately came out and took care of this huge prey on the spot.
Zhi Zhi!! Hairy Ball leapt from the little guy's shoulders and landed on the elephant's head while screeching continuously, as if it was declaring that this prey belonged to it.
"Little guy, your strength is too scary!" A group of children surrounded him. They lively discussing with yearning and excitement as their emotions were revealed with every word.
"Regular practice is enough." The little guy bashfully shook his head. Since he was carrying such a heavy prey on his back while running, he was panting mildly. His little face was rosy all over like a big apple.
"Child, so courageous. Right now, you're the number one hunter in our village, haha…" A bunch of adults all laughed and patted him on the shoulders.
The second day, the ground trembled and the mountains swayed. The little guy ran over again while carrying another huge Dragon Horned Elephant. The several tens of thousands jin weight trembled the earth time and time again.
With a hong sound, he threw the beast in front of the village entrance, causing the chickens to fly and dogs to jump again. All the children who were practicing by the lake were shocked, and quickly ran into the vicinity. They watched as the adults began to do their thing again.
The third day, the fourth day…
When the little guy carried back another Dragon Horned Elephant half a month later, the children weren't even distracted anymore. The adults were also extremely unperturbed, and everyone went about their own business. Only the two uncles who were responsible for the prey immediately cleaned it up.
Everyone was used to it by now since this had been going on for two months. They quickly got over their initial shock and numbness.
"Little guy, too much meat. We can't finish this at all. We've also been eating Dragon Horned Elephants every day and we're sick of it," complained a group of children.
The two who were currently cleaning up the prey calmly raised their heads and concisely said, "Indeed."
Zhi Zhi…
Hair ball protested, only it wasn't sick of it. For the past half month, it's been eating a large portion of the Dragon Horned Elephants every day. The quantity of food it consumed almost scared people to death. It was clearly only the size of a fist, but its appetite seemed like a bottomless pit. It could chew through a mountain of cooked meat clean.
"No problem, give all the leftovers to hairy ball. From tomorrow onward, I'll switch to another fierce beast. Always catching Dragon Horned Elephants isn't good either, they'll run out." The little guy embarrassingly scratched his head.
During the following two months, the little guy would capture a completely different huge beast every day. They were all tens of thousands of jin in weight, and were shockingly huge.
During this period of time, the chief would also personally take on the task of boiling a special cauldron of meat soup for him daily. The soup would be made of things such as the dragon tendon snakes which could strengthen bones and nourish flesh, and he also supplemented it with all kinds of old medicines that caused his strength to increase dramatically.
Stone Village was right next to a lake, and within the clear and dark blue waters, there were many Dragon Whiskered Fish. These were rare creatures that could strengthen power, and the villagers would practically dive into the lake every day to catch several of these big and spiritual fish. Their scales flickering with golden light, and their sparkling dragon whiskers alone weighed over ten jin. The value of their blood essence was high, and they were deemed an extravagant commodity even by large clans.
These naturally fell into the stomachs of the children, and their strength increased rapidly.
This was especially true for the little guy, since his physique was out of the ordinary. The villagers gave special treatment to him alone, and his strength could practically be said to be exploding. The ancient methods that the village had recorded down were all used on him.
One must know, these ancient methods weren't ordinary. They didn't understand it in the past, but the clan members now knew. They were extremely glorious in the past, and even deities had walked out of here. These ancient methods were the accumulation of countless years of experience, so how could they possibly be ordinary things?
The fortunate things was, the Willow Deity found them this precious land. Not only had their predicament with a lack of food been settled, they could find all kinds of spiritual creatures. The materials listed in those ancient methods were practically all found, and the meat soups and refined medicines created from those materials all had powerful effects.
After three months, the little guy could lift something that weighed 50000 jin without using the Bone Text. Purely by relying on the power of his flesh, his divine strength was shocking since he was barely over six years old.
"There's an area with a stony waterfall 70 li away. You can go over there to cultivate. Additionally, I have an ancient method here that's used to establish the fundamentals for the child of a heaven rank Archaic vicious beast." The willow tree passed on its voice as it informed the little guy of an ancient method.
Little Shi Hao was immediately stunned. The Archaic vicious beasts' prescriptions for old medicine were too shocking. Perhaps even extremely large tribes with populations of tens of millions to hundreds of millions wouldn't be able to take them out.
Forget about the rare and precious medicine, even the blood essences or the precious bones of the descendants were hard to obtain. This was all unexpectedly a necessity that needed to be used daily. How could Stone Village obtain all of this? These things were excessively astonishing and mind-blowing.
Why were archaic vicious beasts powerful? How could they be so heaven-opposing even as youths, far exceeding the ordinary? They were completely indistinguishable from the things straight out of legends!
"Willow Deity. These things, we can't find them." The little guy lightly said and lowered his head.
"No matter, apart from the master medicine, you can use ordinary things as substitutes." The Willow Deity passed on its voice.
"That master medicine…" The little guy widened his eyes and understood the willow tree's meaning.
"This Zhuyan that you raised, you can't let it freeload forever. Let it offer a drop of blood every few days as a replacement for that master medicine." The Willow Deity said.
Ao… The golden fist sized Zhuyan's hair stood erect all over. It had unexpectedly stopped screeching, and emitted a roar. Its large eyes stared like balls as it angrily stared at the willow tree.
"Hairy ball, I'll bring you to ancient divine mountains to eat precious medicine. Right now you have to help me first…" The little guy grabbed it and shook it with all his strength.
Zhi Zhi… the golden Hairy Ball let out its miserable shrieks. It was a hundred and twenty percent unhappy.
Over ten li away, the rocky mountains stood side by side. Violent waterfalls suspended from them. Perhaps they couldn't even be called waterfalls anymore, but mountain torrents instead. Their rumbling practically deafened the people's ears.
Three large rivers converged and rushed out from within the stony mountain. Below it was a valley, and a boundless cliff formed here. The power of water was frantic as if they descended from heaven. That area of the waterfall had rubble unceasingly tumbling down.
After arriving here, forget about climbing against the water flow, even approaching it would make people panic stricken. That boundless mountain torrent was too terrifying, and the huge boulders that fell as a result of the waterfall weighed thousands to tens of thousands of jin. After building power from traveling down the waterfall from such height, how fearsome was the force behind them? It was simply soul-crushing.
This was precisely the little guy's new cultivation location. He had to go against the flow of the mountain torrent, and push against the huge tumbling boulders to climb up the cliff. It was obviously excessively dangerous.
When he just entered the waterfall, he was thrown away by the white waves. The waterfall descended from mountain cliffs that were hundreds and thousands of meters above him, and it carried with it a ferocious power.
The little guy wasn't discourage and stood up again. With a pair of hands like iron pincers, he grabbed the rocks, stopped his breathing, and climbed upwards one step at a time with extreme difficulty.
That white wave flooded over him, and there was a visible convex point within the white waves on the cliff. Due to the force of the water being too ferocious and strong, ordinary strength couldn't resist it at all.
A rock weighing over a thousand jin smashed into the little guy; its speed and ferocity was heart trembling.
Although he was submerged in a white wave, he still reacted and rapidly dodged to one side. Although he avoided the bombardment of this huge rock, his own body staggered, and with a rumble, he dropped down along with the might of the water.
This was just the beginning. The final cultivation required going against the boundless waves as well as the huge boulders that weighed over ten thousand jin. Going against the mountain torrents to climb this broken rampart was destined to be a difficult and terrifying cultivation method.
When the sun was about to drop below the horizon, the little guy returned to the village bruised and battered. No matter how powerful his flesh was, it was ineffective against that terrifying rocky waterfall.
His body had patches of green and purple all over his bruises, and those who saw him like this felt their hearts ache. During the past cultivation processes, he was never injured. When the villagers saw this, they were opposed tp him undergoing such a dangerous trial by fire.
They had gone to the site before. That terrifying scene was more dangerous than a battle between an army of thousands. How could the strength of a huge rock that dropped down from that height be just ten thousand jin? If one actually got hit, they would instantly turn into meat pulp.
"It's okay, I will try my best. I must attain the power of a heaven rank Archaic vicious beasts as soon as possible." The little guy blinked his large eyes with an unwavering gaze.
Underneath the black cauldron passed on by their ancestors, flames burnt vigorously. The cauldron was boiling with all sorts of ingredients. Old medicine, dragon tendon snakes, golden centipedes, and dragon whiskered fish had been cooked into a soup a long time ago, and it emitted a special fragrance.
"Only that master medicine is left," said the chief as he looked at that golden fist-sized Zhuyan.
Hairy Ball's fur emitted light all over and its large eyes rolled and swiveled. It wanted to escape, but it was grabbed by the little guy who had been prepared a long time ago. He lightly said, "Hairy Ball, can you help me please?"
The golden Hairy Ball suddenly let out a miserable shriek and began to twist in every way possible. Finally it used one of its paws to cover its own eyes and fiercely bit into the meaty pad of the other paw.
Everyone started laughing. Hairy Ball seemed like it was killing chickens and slaughtering ducks. It cried non-stop as it covered its own eyes, and unwillingly allowed a drop of golden blood to drip into the cauldron.
With a hong sound, the black cauldron began to emit light. The boiling cauldron began to emit rumbling noises as the chanting of deities began to spread outwards, and the even louder noises of sacrificial ceremony began to sound. This stunned the villagers, and they couldn't help but feel dumbstruck.


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Daniel O. Beteta, from pastor, Latinos Unidos en Cristo, San Mateo, Calif. David Lee Blevik, from pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Dearborn, Mich. Albert W. Bush Jr., from pastor, Gardens Presbyterian Church, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. J. Bruce Byers, from pastor, Sampson's Mills Presbyterian Church, McKeesport, Pa. R. Alan Chapman, from temporary pastor, Rosemont Presbyterian Church, Bristol, Tenn. Chang Eun Chung, from pastor, Glen Burnie Korean Presbyterian Church, Glen Burnie, Md. Sandra Faison, from member at large, Heber City, Utah Raymond J. Fancher, from member at large, Charleston, S.C. Dusty Kenyon Fiedler, from pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Roanoke, Va. David F. Freehling, from member at large, Canon City, Colo. Christopher W. Grange, from pastor, St. Peter's By-the-Sea Presbyterian Church, Huntington Beach, Calif. Peter R. Grosso, from member at large, Moon Township, Pa. Anne-Marie Hislop, from interim pastor, Northminster … [Read more...]
Retirements (from the Jan. 18, 2016 issue)
Daniel O. Beteta, from pastor, Latinos Unidos en Cristo, San Mateo, Calif. David Lee Blevik, from pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Dearborn, Mich. Ann Brizendine, from pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Muskogee, Ohio Edward T. Brogan, from member at large, Boerne, Texas Wayne L. Carpenter, from validated ministry, Ft. Collins, Colo. Frederick A.H. Coates, from associate pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Mooresville, N.C. Audrey O. Deas, from pastor, St. Paul Presbyterian Church, Hollywood, S.C. Walter Flint, from pastor, Fort Gaines Presbyterian Church, Fort Gaines, Ga. John Hyunjo Hwang, from member at large, Orange, Conn. Shim Il Jo, from pastor, Philadelphia Jeil Korean Presbyterian Church, Jenkintown, Pa. Larry E. Kunter, from pastor, Harmony Presbyterian Church, Fort Collins, Colo. Melissa Bane Sevier, from pastor, Versailles Presbyterian Church, Versailles, Ky. Rita Louise Wilson, from pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Yellville, Ark. … [Read more...]
Retirements (from the Jan. 4, 2016 issue)
Robert L. Agnew, from temporary pastor, Grosse Pointe Woods Presbyterian Church, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. Edward E. Breeden, from designated pastor, Presbyterian Church of San Martin, San Martin, Calif. Thomas K. Chadwick, from member at large, Virginia Beach, Va. Susan A. Cluts, from member at large, Traer, Iowa Roland Rene Emond, from pastor, Coalport Presbyterian Church, Coalport, Pa. Sally Wilkinson Gilbert, from member at large, Kokomo, Ind. John Haspels, from mission co-worker, Halstead, Kan. James P. Jensen, from member at large, Tucson, Ariz. Lynn M. Jones, from member at large, Richmond Hill, Ga. Robert C. Leivers, from president, Samaritan Institute, Manitou Springs, Colo. Jill Robertson, from member at large, Newport, R.I. William R. Schrader, from member at large, Louisville, Ky. Dana Powers Shaw, from member at large, Thousand Oaks, Calif. Roxie A. Sullivan, from pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Falls City, Neb. Krin J. Van … [Read more...]
Retirements (from the Dec. 21, 2015 issue)
Carole Isley Corey, from member at large, Johnstown, Pa. John D. Guthrie Jr., from pastor, Henderson Presbyterian Church, Henderson, Ky. Hugh A. Henderson, from member at large, Columbia, S.C. Carolyn K. Heyward, from associate pastor, St James Presbyterian Church, Charleston, S.C. Stephen M. Huntley Jr., from associate pastor, Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta Walter C. Lee Jr., from member at large, San Antonio Daniel W. Massie, from pastor, First-Scots Presbyterian Church, Charleston, S.C. James N. Montgomery, from member at large, Decatur, Ill. Steven Lee Mowery, from member at large, China Grove, N.C. Victoria Wells, from associate pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Hayward, Calif. Gary K. Scheidt, from pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Moneta, Va. … [Read more...]
Retirements (from the Dec. 7, 2015 issue)
Fred R. Anderson, from pastor, Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, N.Y. Susan Ruth Andrews, from executive presbyter, Hudson River Presbytery Margaret W. Are, from member at large, Raleigh, N.C. Scarlette Karan Bostick, from member at large, Royston, Ga. J. Anthony Charles, from validated ministry, West Hartford, Conn. Edwin E. Evans, from pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Centralia, Ill. Jeffrey J. Harmeling, from pastor, Monument Presbyterian Church, Grand Junction, Colo. Ann C. Hinz, from pastor, Peshastin United Church of Christ, Peshastin, Wash. Walter C. Lee Jr., from member at large, San Antonio Gary C. Oliver, from member at large, Ann Arbor, Mich. Lynn E. Shurley, from pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Paducah, Ky. Fred Soberg, from member at large, Pittsburgh … [Read more...]
Retirements (from the Nov. 23, 2015 issue)
Midhat D. Abraham, from member at large, Tuscon, Ariz. James Randall Campbell, from pastor, First United Presbyterian Church, Las Vegas Donald Reed Caughey, from member at large, Portland, Ore. Matilda G. Chase, from interim pastor, Olivet United Presbyterian Church, Easton, Pa. Susan Lee Porter Clements, from pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Martin, Tenn. Kathy Sims Collier, from pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Forney, Texas Brian Dill, from associate pastor, North Lakeland Presbyterian Church, Lakeland, Fla. David A. Dolan, from member at large, San Diego Robert A. Edmunds, from pastor, First United Presbyterian Church of Dale City, Woodbridge, Va. Gary Ferbet, from associate pastor, Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, Chesterfield, Mo. James F. Ferry Jr., from pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Garner, N.C. Thomas N. Gard, from member at large, Fergus Falls, Minn. Paul Jung-Chi, from pastor, Korean Presbyterian Church of Lawrence, Lawrence, … [Read more...]
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Blog Category: Legal Stuff
More on The Tied House Issue
Paul Kamon at Urban Dinner was kind enough to let Rick Green and I share our respective view points on this issue. I'm happy that people are discussing it, and I'm actually even happier that there is disagreement. It's extremely important… Read More


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The Broadcasting Committee of Advertising Practice public consultation are considering proposals to allow abortion organisations to advertise on TV and radio.
We ask you to oppose the proposals to allow pro-abortion advertising by signing our online petition (see form below). Alternatively you can download and print the petition here, to collect the signatures of your friends.
Please only sign the petition if you are a UK resident and if you haven't already signed this petition.
Please send completed signature pages to:
ProLife Alliance
PO Box 13395
London SW3 6XE
The ProLife Alliance will ensure that all online and paper signatures are delivered to Downing Street to coincide with the end of the consultation by the Broadcasting Committee of Advertising Practice public consultation on the 19th June.
You can also oppose pro-abortion ads on TV and radio, by writing to the British Committee of Advertising Practice to voice your opposition, for more information see https://prolife.org.uk/pro-abortion-advertising-universally-condemned or by signing the petition on the Downing Street website available here http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Noabortionads/#detail
Online Petition against pro-abortion advertising on TV or radio
We, the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to reject any attempt to allow abortion services (including the morning after pill) to advertise on television or radio as recommended in the current Broadcasting Committee of Advertising Practice public consultation and we urge all concerned citizens to sign the petition below and submit their opposition to the consultation which closes at 5pm on the 19 June 2009. For more information see https://prolife.org.uk/pro-abortion-advertising-universallycondemned/
Abortion, which takes the life of an unborn child, is not a consumer product, and remains, subject to specific exemptions, illegal under the terms of the Abortion Act. Abortion is not a legitimate subject for a TV or radio advertisement. In addition, abortion has serious implications for women's health and the psychological and physical impact of abortion should not be trivialised by advertisements. Given the widespread opposition to abortion, and the fact that pro-abortion organisations do not offer positive support to help women continue with their pregnancies, they should not be able to advertise on either radio or TV. It is of particular concern that young children, below the age of consent, would be exposed to advertisements of this nature.


text:
Rift of Aln
The Rift of Aln is a vast, deep fissure in a small corner located deep within the Emerald Dream, from which it is thought by the druids that the Dream itself originated. The druids also believe that it bleeds into the Twisting Nether and the Great Dark Beyond.[1] Players enter the rift through Lake Elune'ara in the Emerald Dream's counterpart of Moonglade.
This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.
Gazing into it, Malfurion Stormrage saw it as a bottomless chasm which radiated with primeval energies that even he dared not investigate. Indeed, the very rift itself seemed half-dreamed, for it had a surreal quality to its expanse and to the archdruid now and then seemed to ripple as if ready to fade or change.
Curiously, only then did Malfurion truly sense that the ancient evil, though it fought to keep its grip there, did so from somewhere deep in the depths of Azeroth's own seas.[2]
Malfurion and Tyrande Whisperwind cleansed the Emerald Dream everywhere, except in the rift where the Nightmare stubbornly held firm. There was no point to keep pushing, as the people of Azeroth still needed the couple's help. Thus, Malfurion sealed off the vicinity around the rift, he and Tyrande silently agreeing that the day had been saved, and this was another war that would have to wait for a better time. Xavius's spirit was also sealed inside the Rift of Aln.[3]
Warlords of Draenor
This section concerns content related to Warlords of Draenor.
During the war in Draenor, Archimonde held a fragment of power from the Rift of Aln, and the revelation disturbed Malfurion greatly. Believing it to be a terrible portent, he set off for Val'sharah, where he was first trained as a druid.[4]
This section concerns content related to Legion.
Resolved to rescue Malorne from the Nightmare, Remulos, the Archdruid and the druids of the Dreamgrove devise a way to reactivate the portal to the Rift of Aln that lies abandoned in a dark corner of the Emerald Dreamway.[5] The druid hero and their allies reach the Nightmare and find it warped into a recreation of Malorne's memory of the War of the Ancients. The druids must work together to destroy the nightmare demons and help Malorne relive his fatal encounter with Archimonde, but ensuring that Malorne survives this time.
Heroes of Azeroth find themselves in the dark, formless heart of rift with its unknown terrors. It is within this darkness that they finally confront Xavius.
- ^ Stormrage, chapter 29
- ^ Stormrage, pg. 389
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 191
- ^ [100] Dark Waters
- ^ [110] Powering the Portal


text: Check the 10 most original birthday cakes and pick one up to your upcoming birthday party. I am sure you are going to make a huge success! Whether it can be a children party or adult party, these ideas are just awesome, and you can use them for both. Take a look! Do not forget to read our previous posts too, such as getting a bouncy castle for a party or best girl's birthday cake designs.


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IAM Local 623 members helped prepare a new training facility dedicated to helping immigrant families in their move to St. Cloud, MN as part of the "IAM H.E.L.P.S. in the Community" program. Newly-arrived immigrants and refugees to St. Cloud, MN have a new place to receive training and support services thanks to members of IAM …
Monthly Archive: February 2018
Permanent link to this article: http://www.iam75.org/minnesota-iam-local-623-members-lend-a-helping-hand-to-st-cloud-community/
Feb 27 2018
IAM/Lockheed: The Gold Standard in Aerospace
"This is the power of Collective Bargaining in black and white," said IAM's Southern Territory General Vice President Mark A. Blondin proudly, holding the final agreement. "Thousands of Machinists and their families will proposer from this IAM/Lockheed Martin Contract. General wage increases with a ratification bonus, increases to pension, health care improvements for members and …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.iam75.org/iam-lockheed-the-gold-standard-in-aerospace/
Feb 27 2018
New York IAM Member Struck, Killed by Shuttle Bus
IAM Local 447 member Stephen Morales, was struck and killed by an airport shuttle bus at LaGuardia Airport last week. Morales, who lived nearby, often commuted to work by bicycle, and initial reports are he may have been struck by the rear wheel of the shuttle bus as it passed. Both were traveling on an …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.iam75.org/new-york-iam-member-struck-killed-by-shuttle-bus/
Feb 27 2018
New Mexico IAM Member Rebuts Right-to-Work Claims
In a recent Las Cruces Sun-Times letter to the editor, New Mexico Local 2515 member Brian Breitag exposed the misleading claims of right-to-work (RTW) proponents. "'Right to work for less' laws are a sham with one purpose in mind, bankrupt unions," said Breitag. "By having less funds to work with, union representatives have less money …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.iam75.org/new-mexico-iam-member-rebuts-right-to-work-claims/
Feb 27 2018
Women of the IAM Shine on Activate L!VE
IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes, Women's, Human Rights and Young Workers Director Rhonda Rogers and a packed studio of our union's women leaders took part in a special edition of the IAM's popular live webcast Activate L!VE. In case you missed the show, you can watch it anytime on: FacebookYouTubeTwitter Activate L!VE webcasts live each …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.iam75.org/women-of-the-iam-shine-on-activate-lve/
Feb 27 2018
Wisconsin Locals Prepare for Bargaining with Trane
Negotiating Committee for Locals 21 and 1115, along with the Directing Business Representative from District 66, participated in the Negotiation Preparation for Bargaining Committees program at the William W. Winpisinger Center in Hollywood, MD. The Locals represent employees at Trane in La Crosse, WI which make industrial sized chillers weighing anywhere from 25 to 75 …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.iam75.org/wisconsin-locals-prepare-for-bargaining-with-trane/
Feb 22 2018
New York Machinists to Fight Dresser Rand Plant Closure
Nearly 250 IAM Members in a tiny community of Western New York were left reeling Monday afternoon when Siemens officials suddenly announced the impending sale, and closure of the historic Dresser Rand plant in tiny Wellsville. Siemens officials met with members of IAM Local 1580 at the facility dropping the bombshell announcement that Curtiss-Wright is …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.iam75.org/new-york-machinists-to-fight-dresser-rand-plant-closure/
Feb 22 2018
Labor Leaders Deliver Unified Trade Message to President Trump
Labor is united in its view that NAFTA is a disaster for working people and must be fixed. We had a very productive meeting which made clear to the president that a new NAFTA must create fair and balanced trade in North America. Real solutions for any new trade deal must dramatically improve workers' rights …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.iam75.org/labor-leaders-deliver-unified-trade-message-to-president-trump/


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Oops! The Best Types of Cases to Help Protect Your Smartphone
Even the most careful smartphone owner can get butter fingers. When an iPhone or other smartphone is dropped and hits the ground, the touch screen and case might become cracked or shattered. Thankfully, there are dozens of products on the market designed to keep cell phones safe even when they are dropped.
Cell phone cases are made from a wide variety of materials and each one has its own benefits and limitations. Whether you're prone to dropping your phone or just looking to protect your device from normal wear and tear, the type of case you choose depends on your needs, taste and budget.
Here is an overview of some the best types of cases to protect your smartphone.
Polycarbonate Cases
Polycarbonate is type of tough, durable plastic used in some smartphone cases today. Polycarbonate is the same material used in bulletproof windows, so you can be assured it will offer maximum protection for your smartphone. Polycarbonate cases are lightweight while providing great strength against drops and other potential cell phone damage.
Plastic Cases
Plastic cases offer protection from bumps and scratches while allowing you to add style and personality to your phone. Plastic smartphone cases are available in many different colors and patterns so you can change the look of your phone on a regular basis. Plastic cases are a durable and inexpensive way to protect your phone from potential chips and cracks. Hard plastic cases can help save your phone from cracking or breaking by absorbing the shock of a fall.
Carbon Fiber Cases
Carbon fiber is a strong, lightweight material, so cell phone cases made from it offer a high level of protection against damage. Carbon fiber cases are ideal for protecting phones from falls on concrete or hard tile — falls which can result in cracked screens and other major damage. Carbon fiber offers greater protection than plastic cases and generally is more expensive than plastic.
Silicone Cases
Silicone is another popular material used for making smartphone cases. Silicone cases are flexible skins which offer great protection against low-impact drops by helping absorb the impact of a fall to reduce damage to your phone. These cases also offer protection from scratches and minor dings. Silicone cases come in a variety of colors and designs and are perfect for protecting your phone from life's everyday bumps and damage.
Metal Cases
Metal smartphone cases, sometimes made of aluminum, are hard and sturdy. Metal cases offer protection from falls and daily scratches and chips to help preserve the appearance of your phone. Metal cell phone cases are available in different colors or even a beautiful brushed metal finish.
Leather Cases
Leather cases are a popular aesthetic choice for smartphone protection. Though leather cases can protect your phone from scratches and chips, they don't provide the strongest protection when it comes to dropping your phone. A leather case may be right for you if you are only looking for minimal protection from daily wear.
Smartphone cases range in price, from a few dollars to over $100, but when it comes to protecting an expensive smartphone, the price of the case is well worth it. You never know when you might drop your phone so be sure to protect your smartphone with the perfect case.
— By Stephanie Willingham


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Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia bordering Myanmar, Singapore and Indonesia. British occupation brought missionary work whose fruit still continues today.
Population: 25 million
Language: Bahasa Malaysian
Ethnic Groups: Malay (50%), Chinese (24%), Indigenous (11%), Indian (7%)
Per Capita Income: $13,000
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Religions: Muslim (60%), Buddhism (20%), Christian (9%), Hindu (7%). Ethnic groups include Malays, Chinese, and Indian
Government: Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy and is a Muslim state.
History: In the late 1940s, Malaysia gained its independence from Great Britain who had colonized Malaysia during the 18th and 19th centuries. Modern Malaysia was formed in 1963. Mattathir bin Mohammed ruled the country for 22 years from 1981 to 2003.
CCI's ministry here: CCI has classes going in Malaysia with our ministry partners. They are training up pastors for the glory of the Lord.
For more information and project needs, please contact us.


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Episode 42!
42… The Almighty Answer to the Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
A good number!
Christa Watson at Christa Quilts shared on her Instagram account that she likes to batch her process. Make a bunch of tops, then baste them all at the same time, and after move on to quilting.
This sparked a conversation between Dori and I about what our preferred process is. And we decided to include our friends and followers in this conversation through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. We got a lot of great info and we highly recommend that you head over to our pages to see what's been happening.
Jenny on our Facebook page shared Bonnie Hunter's leaders and enders process. This was new to both of us and we greatly appreciate the suggestion from our followers to check it out!
And Lorinda from Laurel Poppy and Pine shared that she has multiple projects in process at different states so she really just goes with the flow and works on what makes her happy.
I agreed with this process and called it, lovingly, ADD quilting!
For our quilt and coffee chat portion of this post, we'd like to shout out to a few local quilters we hope to see around the So Cal Quilter's Run starting next week!
Check out Zina over at Zanymouse Creations on Etsy. If you are like me and really into geek/pop culture she has a great shop full of fun items! And we hope to meet her on the run!
And we hope to see Melanie from Thousand Needles somewhere along the way, too. We've been lucky to run into her at Road to California and QuiltCon and it would be great to see her too!
Don't forget to check out Laurel Poppy and Pine later today. Lorinda is hosting a giveaway
Like us on Facebook: Hobbies Up To Here
Subscribe to us on iTunes: Hobbies Up To Here
Check out our YouTube channel: Katie V. with Hobbies Up To Here
Tune in for some Periscope fun: Katie V.
And follow us on BlogLovin: Hobbies Up To Here
Pop by on Instagram: Hobbies Up To Here


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Above are 4 Knitted dollies I made from felting lambswool. I knitted the bodies by machine after doing a term of experimental machine knitting at Morley College.
This is a little bag I made for my son Syd. He had done a drawing of a dinosaur which I made into a knitted pattern repeat. I then felted it, knitted a picot edge and sewed it all together.
Here is the pattern made into a little pillow.
Knitted Christmas decorations!
Posted by Sally Nencini
Labels: knitted things, lambswool dollies
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Hi Dear Ones,
In March (I think?) a friend from Quebec sent me a message and asked if I could participate with a class project for her daughter. I said sure! So a few weeks later a little Flat Stanley "Clement Applatit" arrived for a very short visit to our nation's capitol!
Thankful for visits. Even if they are of the inanimate kind. I wrote a short little French letter that shared a few of the differences in food and life we find in Australia compared to Canada, and sent Stanley back to his home. It was a fun little project.
These guys are another kind of visitor. They are Ted (Don Bradman Bear on the left) and Bobby (on the right.) They belong to dear friends. You may recognise them from wedding pictures. These bears have visited me in Canberra, in my Sydney home and in North Carolina. Yes, I like bears. No, I don't collect them. Well, maybe I do. Even as I love them, I don't really need more. So yes, I enjoy a few at home, then enjoy the visiting kind as well. They never leave a mess and are very quiet! 🙂
This picture was taken when the bears came for a sleepover to our house, so of course I had to make a tent for them to sleep in… It was quite fun to arrange them and such.
The best thing about this kind of visitor is they don't stay long, and you don't have to do a major house clean-up before they come. They don't care what state the house is in, or how much dust in on the shelves. 🙂 Lest you think I don't want real people, I do really enjoy having people come to visit as well.
Hoping you're enjoying the little blessings in life.


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China has very strict control over the Internet used by the residents of the country, as well as those who are visiting the nation. It features technologically advanced filtering, which allows the government to have far greater control and regulation of what people can see and do when they are online. The goal was to censor items that the government felt were not appropriate for their people, such as gambling sites, violent sites, and others that may have had what was deemed as harmful material.
The result of this was that many sites are impossible to reach in China. This includes social networking sites, blogs that have a political nature, and many types of media, including streaming media. Of course, many who are in China, whether they are residing there or are there on business, want to have full and unfettered access to the web. Fortunately, it is possible.
Getting Around the Blocks
The restrictions in China, and anywhere else there are restrictions for that matter, are based on a person's IP. When someone in China signs onto the web through their Chinese ISP, their IP shows them as being in China, naturally. Therefore, they automatically have sites blocked. The best and safest way to get around this problem is using a VPN or, virtual private network.
How Does the VPN Work?
When you have a VPN service, you still need to have your own ISP. However, when you sign in to the VPN, it appears as if you are visiting sites from another country entirely. This makes it easy to circumvent the blocks and to see the content that you want and need. In addition to changing the IP address, the VPN will encrypt and secure your connection whether you are using a desktop or laptop, or even a mobile device. This can provide you with more overall security.
While you can choose VPNs that provide servers in various locations around the world, it is generally a good idea to choose those that have servers in countries that have more web freedom. The UK and the United States tend to be good examples. If you are in China and have a VPN with servers in the United States, you can watch Hulu and Netflix with the US catalog, which tends to have a larger variety.
Choosing the Right VPN
You need to choose a VPN that will be right for your needs. If you are only going to be visiting websites and social media sites, speed might not be important to you. However, those who want to stream will want to have the fastest connections possible so they can have a good experience while watching videos. The same is true for those who are playing games online and who need to have the fastest connection possible. Always look at the speed offered, as well as the uptime. This will give you an idea of just how reliable the VPN will be when you are using it.
Most of the VPN options on the market are in a similar price range, so price is rarely a factor on your search. However, if you see options that are free or that have extremely low prices, it might be a good idea to avoid them. They may not be capable of providing you with a quality service regardless of what they might claim.
You should also look at the policies of the VPN service when you are making your choice. You do not want the Chinese government to know what you are doing online, so make sure the company you choose takes your privacy and anonymity seriously.
Once you choose your VPN and have paid for the service, you should be ready to go. Start surfing with the freedom the Internet is supposed to have.
Enjoy the Benefits
When you start using a VPN, you will then be able to enjoy all the benefits it offers. You can get around the blocks to access social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. You can watch videos on YouTube, and you can even stream from different services, such as Netflix or Hulu, so long as it is allowed through your VPN.


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A pyramid of elephants in a gradient of warm autumn colors adorns this iPad sleeve. Perfect for the people who like to standout in a crowd.
This sleeve is lined with double layers of foam to provide extra cushion and protection for your gadget .The sleeve closes with a strong velcro closure.
Measures 10 inches by 7 inches and fits iPad Air and iPad Air 2, 9.7 inch iPad Pro and iPad Mini models.


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Mechanical Repairs & Servicing
Cars and vans rely increasingly on electronics and telematics, but the basic physical structure of your vehicle will always need to be understood, checked and maintained. After all, it's this mechanical element which allows the electronic stuff to have a functioning working body to operate to its best.
At Collison's we understand your vehicle from the inside out, and are trained and equipped to carry out any mechanical repair your car or van needs. Whether your suspension is suspect, your steering squeaky or your head gasket causing you a headache, we'll enjoy locating the problem and making it disappear.
We use only the best, guaranteed parts (OE specification so there's no issue with quality or warranty) and quote based on the published industry labour time, which we can often beat to charge you less.
Whether you have a good idea of what's required, or would rather just trust us to work it out, we'll work from your list of symptoms and (with your permission) apply whatever therapy your poorly vehicle most needs to get back to its generally fine form. Call us to discuss what your car or van is doing and we'll send it out so much chirpier than it came in (in a non-squeaky sense)!


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Breach of Contract
On a Breach of Contract cause of action you have to show the following:
- That you had a contract.
- That you performed according to the contract.
- That the defendant breached the contract (usually by not paying the money due)
- And that you have been damaged as a result in the total sum as per the contract
A valid contract exists when:
- There is an offer which contains all of the material and specific terms
- That offer was accepted by the defendant and
- There is valid consideration for the agreement.
A Breach of Contract claim may fail for numerous reasons such as:
- There was not an actual agreement on the price of services rendered.
- There was not an actual agreement on quantity
- There was not an actual agreement on the scope of services
- There was not an actual agreement on the term of the agreement
- You cannot prove your damages or your damages are not directly (proximately) caused by the defendant's alleged conduct
- You cannot show that a modification to an agreement was in writing.
- You cannot show that the defendant specifically authorized your services
- You don't have a signed contract
- There was no legal consideration for the contract/agreement
However, all hope isn't lost if your Breach of Contract claim fails. You have at least two other options:
Unjust Enrichment
Unjust Enrichment Claim: This is an equitable claim. It says that even if there wasn't a formal agreement (say because the price was not agreed to, or some other material term might have been missing that makes a Breach of Contract claim unsuccessful) you should still get paid for the reasonable value of your services because the defendant requested services from you, you relied upon that request, the defendant knew you were performing services and the defendant has retained the benefit of those services without paying you, and as such as been unjustly enriched at your expense. Unlike in a Breach of Contract claim, with Unjust Enrichment you have to show the reasonable value of the services performed. This means showing that your price and time spent were both reasonable under the circumstances. This is a more difficult task than a breach of contract claim but not impossible.
Account Stated Claim
An Account Stated Claim: In New York, if you send someone invoices over a period of months, and they do not contest (or event admit) the invoices, you have an account stated claim which means you are entitled to the sum as stated in those invoices.
Conclusion: The key to any successful claim for money owed on a breach of an agreement, is organization. Making sure your claim is organized is critical. Having all the proper documentation including (1) signed contracts (2) invoices (3) written demands for payment (4) written admissions that money is owed or you will get paid (5) supportive email/written correspondence, and (6) any other information showing you properly performed the services agreed upon will help to ensure your success.


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Grade Level: 5th
Materials: 12x18 white tag board (2 sheets per student), white copy paper scraps, warm color tempera cakes, paintbrushes, water, oil pastels (black, gray, and shades of blue), scissors, glue, black liquid watercolor, styrofoam plates, wooden scratch tools
Here's what we did:
Students viewed Hokusai's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. They located Japan on a map and discussed the importance of Mount Fuji in Japanese culture. This particular set of students really connected with this project because they were familiar with a local Japanese eatery called Mt. Fuji.
Next, students created the background. They used one piece of the 12x18 white tag board to create a background. They used black, gray, and shades of blue oil pastels to color in a back and forth motion across the paper. It can be easily seen in this photo. They did not smear the pastels. Crayons would also work well for this project. I made sure the students understood that the back and forth motion had to be controlled by their wrists and hands. They were not free to "scribble scrabble". Then, they did a wash over the entire background with black liquid condensed watercolor watered down to a gray. (This created a resist with the oil pastels. "Resist" is a great vocabulary word to introduce with this project, and it lends easily to science mini-lesson about oil and water.)
On the second sheet of 12x18 white tagboard, students drew the basic shape of a volcano and cut it out.
They used the wooden scratch tools to carve random designs into the back of the stryofoam plate. This created a stamp which allowed for further discussion of Hokusai's woodblock printing method. Then, they used warm color tempera cakes to paint the back of the plate and stamp it onto the basic volcano shape. I asked the students to go off of the volcano sheet with their stamp. This means that A LOT of paint got on the tables. I made sure they understood that it was okay to get the paint on the tables because tempera cakes wash up easily.
They used the copy paper scraps to cut out a cloud and the ash that is running down the side of the basic volcano shape. Finally, they glued everything to the background.
This project was done in conjunction with a 5th grade science unit on the forces of nature. It is a great arts integration project.
Images and Text Copyright 2012 Amanda Koonlaba-There's a Party in the Art Room
This project was done in conjunction with a 5th grade science unit on the forces of nature. It is a great arts integration project.
Images and Text Copyright 2012 Amanda Koonlaba-There's a Party in the Art Room


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The Region 8 YP Committee is proud to announce the winner of the Region 8 Outstanding GOLD Affinity Group Award for its activities during 2012: the award goes to Finland! The Finland YP Affinity Group is acknowledged for their many successful and divers activities, as well as their continued efforts to motivate volunteers and inspire IEEE YP members.
The Region 8 YP Committee received many excellent nominations for the award. Since Tunisia had the pleasure of recently receiving an MGA Hall of Fame Award and our regional award can only be given to a YP Affinity Group that has not received another IEEE award in the same year, the Tunisian YP AG was excluded from the nominations. Although it was a very hard decision due to the strong competition and the great quality of nominations, the Region 8 YP Committee decided that the Finnish YP Affinity Group will win this year's award.
R8 YP would like to congratulate the Finland YP Affinity Group and would also like to thank all Region 8 YP Affinity Groups for the great work they are doing. This year we received more nominations than ever before and we hope the number will keep on rising next year!
Keep up the good work!
IEEE Region 8 YP Committee


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First and foremost if it is possible to avoid getting the law involved then this is the best path to follow. Many couples seek legal action post break-up as they feel that things should be distributed fairly. However the process is lengthy and won't only drain your finances but your emotions too. Unfortunately in many cases things turn bitter and resentful if the judge imposes an order that doesn't reflect what you had wanted.
Where possible seek help from a mediator. A mediator is an asset in a situation such as this as they will discourage emotional baggage and instead will enable couples to focus on the practical issues which need resolving. They will also help you to come to an 'agreement' regarding custody and visitation of the children, finances, the house, material goods etc and once an understanding has been reached an 'agreement' can be drawn up and given to the couples respective lawyers.This can then become a court order if the couple wish.
It is essential that the process see's that both partners are heard. Often one party may feel 'unacknowledged' and this only leads to harsh words said in the heat of the moment which ultimately results in no closure being reached. Mediation will help to prevent these kinds of uncomfortable encounters and will instead make sure each person is heard so a conclusion can be reached.
After mediation is complete each party can liaise with their own solicitors to discuss whether the understanding they are reaching will stand up in court. The solicitor will be able to offer advice on what is on offer and therefor if the 'agreement' is given the thumbs up it has been done so with the benefit of legal advice.
If you are going through a difficult divorce or breakup and would like to seek the help of a coach then please use the search tool on the homepage of this site to locate a coach in your area. For more information on divorce coaching click here.


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Lunch Specials 14.01.17
Welcome back for 2017!
This week on our lunch specials we have a Salmon and Avocado Timbale (the name comes from a drum - the dish is shaped like one).
Enjoy with a glass of Richmond Plains Rose!
Also on the menu this week:
- Courgette Fritters
- Chicken Caesar Salad
With salad and sundried tomato and olive chutney.
With free-range chicken, bacon and poached egg.


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In terms of a house redesign, no worth should ever be spared on the toilet. In case your bath has these rest room objects and they're in good shape, you could possibly save tons of of dollars by just bay low cost toilet vainness. Re-Bath of Eugene just accomplished our lavatory update and we're thrilled with the results!
These numbers are primarily based on a very small, full bathroom with a bathtub, sink, and toilet. Whether or not a rest room transform pays off in terms of improved resale worth often is dependent upon what comparable properties in your neighborhood function of their loos.
As a result of the ceramic tiles that I'd discovered were a very good value I was able to afford to tile all the walls of my small toilet from floor to ceiling which is what I'd set my coronary heart on. I saved just a little by not tiling the wall behind the bath that wasn't going to be seen.
To rework small lavatory spaces for maximum spaciousness and functionality, you will need to first study to suppose small. One purpose is that rest room reworking is thought to have the next return on funding than nearly every other type of dwelling reworking.
Instead of focusing on what you'll lose, think about what you will gain: a new, trendy lavatory with area for amenities. This helps forestall disagreements alongside the way and provides you clear expectations about how long the challenge ought to take to complete when remodeling a toilet.


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Showing results for tags 'Persian empire'.
Found 1 result
I just shut off the kiln for the night and I thought I'd share some of the reading I've been doing while the firing's been going on. A while ago I posted a little something about Achaemenid glazes. I've kept thinking about them since then, curious about figuring out a formulate for myself. I found a very interesting essay here (http://www.gustav-weiss.de/files/GW_Essay-02_The-Origins-of-Glazes.pdf) on the origin of glazes. I highly recommend giving the essay a read, it's very insightful about just how glazes came about. "Chemical analyses (Hedges 1982) from the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid periods (from 700 B.C. revealed glazes with the following boundary val- ues: 6-8 % Na2O, 2.5-4 % K2O, 4-8 % CaO, 2-4 % MgO, 2-3 Fe2O3, 4-8 % Al2O3 und 65-75 % SiO2. After a phase diagram by Morey (1930), this ratio of alkali to earth alkalis and silicic acid needs a firing range of 900°-1100°C. These glazes were ap- plied to a body with 16-17 % CaO, 5-6 % MgO und 50 % SiO2, which corresponds to the lime-rich clays of the Middle East." 10% soda ash, 10% potash feldspar, 10% dolomite, 10% kaolin, and 60% silica puts you right in the ball park of that chemistry. Historically, this would likely have been soda/natron and local sand, just like Egyptian glass. Edit: It occurred to me that I should share how I arrived at that recipe. The essay talks about plant ash and sand as the origin of this type of glaze, but I'm not sure how realistic this is when trying to replicate the result. I tried every known plant ash, and I couldn't make it work. There are plants in the mediterranean and elsewhere that take up soda and potash in tremendous quantities, e.g saltwort (salsola soda), but I don't have those, and it was later found in ancient glass making that substances like natron form a better glass than ash. In fact, it wasn't until the breakdown of trade routes that ash became important in glassmaking again. Thought I'd share


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Top 3 iOS UI Design Tools –Storyboards/XIBs/Custom Code
October 20, 2016
Very often iOS developers consider about, What's the best tool to develop a User Interface in iOS: using Storyboards or XIBs or Custom Code?. Answers to this question, assumed that a mutually exclusive choice to be made. The developer needs to address upfront anyhow, before beginning the development process.
Here I discuss the above citing the advantages and drawbacks of each of the design approaches.
Considering all the suggestions… it's not easy to pick out a clear winner. Hence, the usage of these tools is completely based on the context of the UI design. We may take one approach or the other, depending on how the app is to be developed.
What's your experience? Share your thoughts and comments below.


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Our Holiday Ham Event was a big hit!
Kunzler event on Monday December 10th, 2012 from 2:00-6:00 PM drew throngs!
4 lucky entrants each won a 5 lb. Kunzler Holiday Hardwood Smoked Ham!
Brubaker Inc. was proud to host a Holiday Ham event featuring Kunzler and Company on Monday December 10th, 2012 from 2 until 6 PM! Our Showroom was bathed in the delectable aroma of a Hardwood Smoked Holiday Ham from Kunzler baking in the oven in our Performance Kitchen!
Ruth and Tim from Kunzler shared the latest in ham preparation and carving tips for Holiday festivities. They had recipes and money saving coupons for Kunzler products also. And of course, the star of the show, the perfectly roasted Holiday Ham was carved up and served in sandwiches and finger foods, along with a selection of fresh fruits!
Every hour a lucky entrant was selected to receive a Holiday Ham!
We had four lucky winners who won a 5 pound Hardwood Smoked Holiday Ham from Kunzler & Co.! In addition, we had a 5th Kunzler ham that we gave away to a lucky online entrant!
To see some of our winners, check out our Facebook page.


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I can't believe that half of 2019 has passed! A lot of my work time was lost in experiencing two bouts of flu. The one thing I truly missed has been remaining in touch with those of you who periodically drop in at one of my sites or Facebook. But when I look at the following list, it appears my working in spurts did allow me to accomplish most of my other goals:
~ Murders of Conveyance, the third Natalie Seachrist Hawaiian Mystery, recently launched. I hope you have enjoyed at least one of Natalie's adventures in murder. This book is a romp across the island of O`ahu during a Chinese New Year scavenger hunt. Unfortunately, Natalie discovered that her dream of a film noire was actually another of her visions. It was a mid-twentieth century murder, that eerily parallels the crime that occurs in front of the hotel suite where she and PI Keoni Hewitt are staying. To learn more about this and the rest of the series, drop in at JeanneBurrows-Johnson.com.
~ Some of my down days included study in order to enhance aspects of the never-ending joys of Search Engine Optimization. This resulted in my adding art to my blogs…present and past. [Scanning the left side menu of past blogs may reveal topics worth exploring.]
~ I've also reshaped ImaginingsWordpower.com, a website with tips for branding, marketing, and development. While brightening its overall appearance, I decided to move articles I've written on historic Tucson to my author's website. At this time, you'll find the first third of "An Early History of Tucson and Her Cemeteries."
~ Inspired by the upcoming British Isle holiday of my fabulous editor, Viki Gillespie, I have just completed Yen for Murder, the fourth Natalie Seachrist Hawaiian Mystery. While finishing the remodel of her Auntie Carrie's cottage, Natalie and Keoni contemplate an antique auction's catalogue. In it, they discover the image of a Shākyamuni Buddha statue stolen during the commitment of a murder in one of his last cases as a detective with the Honolulu Police Department.
~ Today I've completed the redesign my author website, JeanneBurrows-Johnson.com, which will launch later tonight. There you'll find the first section of "The Growth of Tucson and her Cemeteries." I'm also inserting the following audio sample, "Yuletide in Tucson," a lighthearted piece on historic Tucson. Wish me luck in embedding this for what I hope will be your listening pleasure!
I guess that's a fair amount of work, but I promise to remain in closer touch with you! This includes launching a business Facebook page.
Wishing you the best in your creative journey,
Jeanne Burrows-Johnson,
author, narrator, consultant, motivational speaker
To learn more about current and planned projects, please visit my author website at JeanneBurrows-Johnson.com.
Tips on branding, marketing and developing your work are available at
Imaginings Wordpower and Design Consultation.


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Four people have been arrested as part of an investigation into the supply of drugs in Blackpool.
The men were arrested on Friday night following a series of raids at addresses in the Claremont area of Blackpool and Liverpool.
A 33 year old man from Liverpool, an 18 year old man from Liverpool, a 34 year old man from Blackpool and a 27 year old man from Skelmersdale were all arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
DCI Becky Smith of Blackpool Police said: "These arrests are part of Operation Warrior, an on-going operation which is aimed at protecting vulnerable people and disrupting the activities of organised crime groups operating out of Blackpool. They demonstrate our commitment to dismantling groups who are allegedly involved in organised crime.
"Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) do not see force borders as a barrier in their transportation and dealing of illegal drugs and neither do we when we work in partnership with other forces to deal with this sort of activity.
"We are determined to tackle OCGs and we take this type of criminality extremely seriously. If you have any concerns about it happening in your area, I would urge you to report it to us."
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or they can contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


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by Ron Extract
This is part two of a four part series, originally published in the Summer 2017 "Kung Fu" Issue of CRAFT by Under My Host.
May 2017
Spring is a magical time in Washington's Skagit Valley. Expansive emerald fields surround rows of brightly colored tulips and daffodils with views of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains to the east and the San Juan Islands to the west. It's easy to understand how a place like this could inspire the sort of romantic dream that led my partner, Amber Watts, and I to come here to start Garden Path Fermentation. We imagined our own stretch of farmland, where we could grow and cultivate grains, hops, honey, and fruit, which native microflora would slowly transform into delicious beer, mead, cider, perry, and wine that we would age, curate, blend, and ultimately present to guests on the land from which those ingredients had sprung. Our focus remains firmly fixed on this vision, but as we have begun to make our way toward it, we've also gained a clearer perspective of some of the obstacles that could stand in our way.
Part of our long-term vision also involves transforming local agricultural products into food, which we see as an integral component of the type of agritourism destination that we hope to build. Whether this is something that the county considers an allowable use of what it has designated Agricultural Natural Resource Land, however, remains something of an open question. The Skagit County Code specifically allows for agricultural accessory use, including "activities associated with tourism which promote local agriculture." Although there are many residents and public officials within the county who support our project, there are also those who are nervous about applying the provision in this way. We had begun what could have a been a six-month long process to seek an official ruling from the county about whether this was something that we would be allowed to do at our prospective site. Unfortunately, for reasons having nothing to do with zoning, the process has not yet made it that far.
When moving to northwest Washington from central Texas, water availability is not something that we had initially given a great deal of thought. Even in a place with a relative abundance of rain, however, seasonal and annual variations can have a significant impact on the water level in area rivers, streams, and lakes, which, in turn, can affect the habitat of local fish and wildlife, causing ripple effects on the surrounding ecosystem. In order to safeguard against this, the state Department of Ecology has put a number of rules and regulations in place, including an Instream Flow Rule, specific to the Skagit River Basin, enacted in 2001. This rule was modified in 2006, following a challenge by Skagit County, but then bolstered in 2011 in response to a successful lawsuit by the Swinomish Tribe. The end result is a complex regulatory framework that can be more difficult to navigate than the rivers and streams it's designed to protect, leaving many local landowners uncertain as to what is and is not allowed. When we first began our property search, our attorney warned us that water rights were something that we needed to be aware of and look into, so we made a point to inquire about them prior to entering into a contract. It wasn't until much later, however, that we began to comprehend the complexity of the issue and realized that, although the property did have the right to draw from an onsite well, that right did not extend to our intended use. We considered alternatives such as rainwater collection, trucking in municipal water, or even connecting to the nearest water supply but, unfortunately, none of these proved viable, and the lack of available water ultimately left us no choice but to opt out of our contract during the feasibility contingency phase and to look for another site.
Zoning issues aside, if water availability hadn't killed the deal on what we'd thought would be our location, wastewater handling very well might have. Municipal sewers in Skagit County don't extend far beyond the main city centers, which, themselves, are quite small. Everything else relies on onsite septic. We had dealt with a septic system in Texas, but as is the case with water sourcing, the rules pertaining to wastewater treatment and disposal are different here. When we began looking into what we would need to do in order to make it work, the recurring piece of advice that we received was not to bother and to look for something on a public sewer system instead. As heeding this advice in Skagit County would almost certainly mean sacrificing the agricultural character and setting that brought us here in the first place, we looked further into what the alternative would entail. We discovered it would mean at least $60K to upwards of $600K of additional infrastructure, depending on the specifics of the site. At a certain point, not far from the low end of that range, this quickly starts to become less than feasible, given both the budget with which we have to work and the projected cash flow, once we're up and running.
Waste management is perhaps the least romantic thing that one needs to think about when planning to open a brewery, but it is something that needs to be addressed, regardless of what size brewery you're going to open, or where it's going to be. As it stands, there are certainly plenty of breweries that wash everything from sour beer to hot caustic to grain down the drain without giving significant thought to its impact, and plenty of municipalities that allow them to do so, but this is something that is quickly starting to change. King County, which encompasses Seattle, the city with the most breweries of any in the U.S., recently instituted new regulations requiring any breweries producing 3000 or more barrels per year or going through 1000 gallons or more of wastewater per day to sidestream and treat its wastewater before sending it into the public sewer. More such regulations are likely to follow. Even with rules requiring pretreatment of municipal sewage become increasingly common, however, working with self-contained, onsite septic systems still presents an additional layer of complication and expense that breweries would do best to avoid, if they can.
"Finding what we think will be an ideal location was a relief," Amber wrote in our last installment. Realizing that that location was not ideal and ultimately having to walk away from it, six months after we first came across it and three months after entering into a contract, and then having to start all over again, came as a serious blow. Building on an industrial site with appropriate zoning and all the necessary public utilities would certainly make our lives a lot easier, but it also wouldn't have the character we're looking for and wouldn't be the agritourism destination farm brewery/cidery/meadery/winery that we came here to build. Even if we were to go the industrial route, that's still no guarantee that we wouldn't face some of the same issues. While discussing the loss of our initial site, Chad Kuehl of Wander Brewing in Bellingham told us: "Finding a location is no doubt the most difficult and stressful part of opening a brewery. One would never think that is the case, but it was for us, and I have heard others say the same. We were fairly far along on four other sites (letters of intent signed), and they all fell through before our current site worked out." Discouraging as it is to consider, the same could easily happen to us, and is perhaps more likely to happen to us, given the more difficult path we've chosen to take.
We've put in an offer on another site, more centrally located than the first, on a stretch of fertile farmland in the heart of the valley, with classic Skagit views. It's on municipal water, thus alleviating any concern regarding water rights, but like the original property, it's zoned as Agricultural Natural Resource Land and relies on onsite septic, so even if the current owners accept our offer, those are still issues with which we'll have to contend.
When we first announced our project, we said that we would be opening sometime in 2017. At the time, we thought that gave us a nice buffer and were, in our own minds, thinking that we would most likely be up and running by spring. Now spring is drawing to a close, and we still find ourselves without a definitive site, hoping, somewhat optimistically, that we'll have one and be able to start brewing by the end of the year. Meanwhile, well-meaning friends and industry colleagues continue to ask, "How's the new project coming along?", and, fending off the initial sting of the question, we continue to answer, "Slowly but surely, we're making progress," hoping that indeed we are. Fortunately, we have a plan to keep things moving forward, even if our current prospective site doesn't work out. More on that next time.
Continue to Part III on our blog
Or read it in the Fall 2017 "Fantasy/Sci-Fi" issue of CRAFT by Under My Host.


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Archive for January, 2014
Heading to London? Don't Miss These World-Class Eateries
London is a city accustomed to elegance and quality. A variety of its hotel accommodations are touted as some of the best hotels in the world, let alone in the capital of the United Kingdom. Buckingham Palace, traditional home of the royal family, sits majestically in the Westminster area of London, a short walk from the city's best hotel accommodations in Victoria. The British Museum has been viewed as one of the most beautiful, most useful museums on the planet for researching history, science, and more since it first opened its doors in 1753. According to BritishMuseum.org, it pulls in 6.7 million visitors annually.
This same level of quality, elegance, and beauty can be seen
Looking for an Exclusive Resort in Zanzibar? Three Tips
"Getting lost is the only way truly to understand a place …- and in Zanzibar's Stone Town, getting lost is a rite of passage," the Telegraph notes. For people looking for unusual, relaxing places to travel, Zanzibar, an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, is finding itself on many lists as a top tourist location for Africa. Currently, about 50% of Zanzibar's tourists hail from Europe.
If you are thinking about staying in an exclusive resort for your upcoming vacation, Zanzibar is worth checking out. From there, you'll be able to scuba dive in the ocean, or relax on the beach. But what should you look for in exclusive resorts, especially in an area you're not familiar with? Here are three factors to keep in mind.
1. Look for Zanzibar Beach Resorts
If you want to spend your v
Three Handy Tips for Planning Out Your Party Bus Rental
For anyone that watches Bravo's Real Housewives franchise, you might have been jealous of the women who are able to spend their weekends in party buses as they go on beer tours, nightclub hops, and wine tastings.
What you might not realize is that party bus rental fun isn't something only rich, reality TV stars can afford. Party buses can be a great way to celebrate a special event, or just spend quality time with some of your friends. Here are three party planning tips for arranging cheap party bus rentals.
1. How Much is a Party Bus Rental?
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Cassandra gurus, I am really puzzled by my observations, and hope to get some help explaining the results. Thanks in advance.
I think it has always been advocated in Cassandra community that de-normalization leads to better performance. I wanted to see how much performance improvement it can offer, but the results were totally opposite. The performance degraded dramatically for simultaneously requests for the same set of data.
I have a Cassandra cluster consisting of 3 AWS m3.large instances, with Cassandra 2.0.6 installed and pretty much default settings. My program is written in Java using Java Driver 2.0.8.
Normalized case:
I have two tables created with the following 2 CQL statements
CREATE TABLE event (event_id UUID, time_token timeuuid, … 30 other attributes, … PRIMARY KEY (event_id))
CREATE TABLE event_index (index_key text, time_token timeuuid, event_id UUID, PRIMARY KEY (index_key, time_token))
In my program, given the proper index_key and a token range (tokenLowerBound to tokenUpperBound), I first query the event_index table
Query 1:
SELECT * FROM event_index WHERE index_key in (…) AND time_token > tokenLowerBound AND time_token <= tokenUpperBound ORDER BY time_token ASC LIMIT 2000
to get a list of event_ids and then run the following CQL to get the event details.
Query 2:
SELECT * FROM event WHERE event_id IN (a list of event_ids from the above query)
I repeat the above process, with updated token range from the previous run. This actually performs pretty well.
In this normalized process, I have to run 2 queries to get data: the first one should be very quick since it is getting a slice of an internally wide row. The second query may take long because it needs to hit up to 2000 rows of event table.
De-normalized case:
What if we can attach event detail to the index and run just 1 query? Like Query 1, would it be much faster since it is also getting a slice of an internally wide row?
I created a third table that merged the above two tables together. Notice the first three attributes and the PRIMARY KEY definition are exactly the same as the "event_index" table.
CREATE TABLE event_index_with_detail (index_key text, time_token timeuuid, event_id UUID, … 30 other attributes, … PRIMARY KEY (index_key, time_token))
Then I can just run the following query to achieve my goal, with the same index and token range as in query 1:
Query 3:
SELECT * FROM event_index_with_detail WHERE index_key in (…) AND time_token > tokenLowerBound AND time_token <= tokenUpperBound ORDER BY time_token ASC LIMIT 2000
Performance observations
Using Java Driver 2.0.8, I wrote a program that runs Query 1 + Query 2 in the normalized case, or Query 3 in the denormalized case. All queries is set with LOCAL_QUORUM consistency level.
Then I created 1 or more instances of the program to simultaneously retrieve the SAME set of 1 million events stored in Cassandra. Each test runs for 5 minutes, and the results are shown below.
Note that the unit of measure is number of operations. So in the normalized case, the programs runs 89 times and retrieves 178K events for a single instance, 315 times and 630K events to 5 instances (each instance gets about 126K events), and 417 times and 834K events to 10 instances simultaneously (each instance gets about 83.4K events).
Well for the de-normalized case, the performance is little better for a single instance case, in which the program runs 100 times and retrieves 200K events. However, it turns sharply south for multiple simultaneous instances. All 5 instances completed successfully only 43 operations together, and all 10 instances completed successfully only 3 operations together. For the latter case, the log showed that 3 instances each retrieved 2000 events successfully, and 7 other instances retrieved 0.
In the de-normalized case, the program reported a lot of exceptions like below:
com.datastax.driver.core.exceptions.ReadTimeoutException, Cassandra timeout during read query at consistency LOCAL_QUORUM (2 responses were required but only 1 replica responded)
com.datastax.driver.core.exceptions.NoHostAvailableException, All host(s) tried for query failed (no host was tried)
I repeated the two cases back and forth several times, and the results remained the same.
I also observed CPU usage on the 3 Cassandra servers, and they were all much higher for the de-normalized case.
This is really not what I expected, and I am puzzled and have not figured out a good explanation.
This post has NOT been accepted by the mailing list yet.
I carried out additional tests and tried to make it easy to figure out an answer.
Clearly, the consistency checking algorithm is at the center of this issue. Since the final data set (2000 event records) retrieved from normalized and de-normalized cases are the same, I have to think that Cassandra has to check every attribute of every row. In this sense, the time spent on the consistency checking should be roughly the same for both cases.
If the total time spent on the consistency checking is the same, then where is the difference? I can only speculate that it is the size of an internal row that makes a difference. In the normalized case, we will retrieve 2001 internal rows (1 from event_index, and 2000 from event). The size of each row is small such that the consistency checking for each row is very quick. If the algorithm releases CPU between rows, all the instances will have to chance to proceed. If the algorithm caches the checking results and since all the instances of my tests retrieve the same set of data, it should make things even better.
For the de-normalized case, however, there is only one wide row with all the data. If the algorithm has to finish checking the whole row before releasing CPU, it could be a long time before the checking is finished such that other threads serving other client instances would not have a chance before they time out. I would also have to think that some kind of (row) locking is involved. Otherwise, all threads should be able to process the same row at the same time without waiting.
LIMIT setting in CQL query:
To reduce the size of the single wide row in the de-normalized case, I tried to change the CQL LIMIT value to 250, 200, 150, and 100. Although the number of occurances decreases, there were still timeout exceptions when there were 10 client instances running simultaneously. Only until the LIMIT is set to 50 that exception disappeared
To have a fair performance comparison, I re-ran the tests with LIMIT set at 50, here is the result
Again the unit of measure is number of operations. So in the normalized case, the programs runs 2754 times and retrieves 137K events for a single instance, and 8247 times and 412K events to 10 instances simultaneously (each instance gets about 41.2K events).
Well for the de-normalized case, the performance is little better for a single instance case, in which the program runs 3934 times and retrieves 197K events. Still, it turns sharply south for 10 simultaneous instances, even when there is no timout exceptions. All 10 instances retrieved a total of 5062 times and 253K events (each instance gets about 25.3K events)
Change consistency level to LOCAL_ONE
What if I forgo the LOCAL_QUORUM, and use LOCAL_ONE instead? Can I use a large LIMIT setting for CQL SELECT statement?
I changed the consistency level in the program, and tried to change the CQL LIMIT value to 250, 200, 150, and 100. Well, the timeout exceptions still occur when there were 10 client instances running simultaneously. The exception now changed to
com.datastax.driver.core.exceptions.ReadTimeoutException, Cassandra timeout during read query at consistency LOCAL_ONE (1 responses were required but only 0 replica responded)
At this consistency level, and with 0 replica responded, I can only speculate that some kind of row locking is going on that other Cassandra threads cannot get the data. But what needs to be checked if we only need one copy?
Only until the LIMIT is set to 50 that this exception disappeared. I re-ran the tests with LIMIT set at 50, here is the result
Similar to before, with only 1 instance, de-normalized case is about 4% better. However for 10 instances, the de-normalized is only half of the normalized case. Such a big difference.
In reply to this post by dlu66061
Hello, there.
In relation to the Java driver, I would recommend updating to the latest version as there were a lot of issues reported in versions earlier that 2.0.9 were the driver is incorrectly marking nodes as down/not available.
In fact, there is a new version of the driver being released in the next 24-48 hours that reverts JAVA-425 to resolve this issue.
Erick Ramirez
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On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 4:56 AM, dlu66061 <[hidden email]> wrote:
A few observations from what you've said so far:
1) IN clauses in CQL can have performance impact by including sets of keys that are spread across the cluster.
2) We previously used m3.large instances in our cluster and would see occasional read timeouts even at CL.ONE. We upgraded to i2.xlarge with local SSD drive and no longer experience those problems.
3) You didn't state how you had your storage configured, but if you're using EBS for your Cassandra partitions, it can seriously impact performance due to network lag. If you're using local storage on your instances (which is recommended), you should be using separate drives for your data and commitlog partitions because the access patterns are very different. SSD is the preferred local storage option (over spinning disks) in any case.
4) If you have all of the above covered, you might also want to compare CL.ONE read results with CL.QUORUM read results. The former will likely perform much better.
Any of the issues above can cause excessive contention between nodes and seriously degrade performance as traffic increases.
These are just some of the first things that jump out. Others on the list are a lot more experienced than I am with Cassandra performance and may have additional advice. There are also quite a few good papers and videos on planet cassandra and the youtube channel regarding performance, storage, data models and the interactions between them.
Hope that helps,
On Sun, May 3, 2015 at 4:05 PM, Erick Ramirez <[hidden email]> wrote:
Thank you both very much, Erick and Steve.
1. You are right on the target. I realized it later last week and did additional tests. I am in the process summarizing it and I am going to put it here as a comparison reference for others.
2. It is good to know.
3. Yes, I am using EBS. I understand its implication for the overall performance, but I think it is not the main cause for the observation.
4. I also tested CL.ONE vs. CL.QUORUM. I am summarizing that part too.
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This thrift store wall print upcycle used a sturdy frame and good basic materials to give a tired, outdated print a brand new look.
Thrift store shopping is one of my favorite things to do. When I find something that I can do a little work to and make it my own, I'm really happy.
That's exactly what I did with an old, outdated wall print from our local ReStore that I bought a few months ago for just $6!
I loved the heavy, sturdy frame and knew it would be perfect for some updating.
I started by taking it apart. The print was old, faded, and not at all appealing. It would certainly have to go.
I had planned to buy a foam board to mount my new piece, but was happy to find one already inside. It was in good enough shape to reuse.
Next, I worked on the frame. It had a few dings on one side, but they easily sanded out. Two coats of paint later and the frame had a fresh new look.
The mat was next. I loved the fact that it was double, but since they were securely attached, I decided to spray them the same color. I chose one that coordinated with the fabric that I picked out, and gave it two coats.
When everything was dry, it was time to assemble.
I cut the fabric to fit the foam board, almost to the edges,
and secured it using adhesive craft tape.
With the mat in place, the new look was really coming together. I gave the glass a much-needed cleaning, reassembled everything, and it was ready to hang.
I loved this project because I was able to take something that someone had tossed away and give it a fresh look. And for a whole lot less money than if I had bought a new print!


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Supraventricular Tachycardia, SVT
Supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT, is a condition in which the heart beats too fast, which can prevent the body from getting enough blood flow. SVT begins in the upper chambers of the heart (atria), which are located above the heart's lower chambers (ventricles), and is caused by abnormal electrical signals in the heart. SVT does not always cause problems, but in more serious cases it can result in symptoms such as light-headedness, fainting, chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue. It becomes a problem when episodes are frequent, last a long time, or symptoms are present. SVT is sometimes called paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) or paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT); paroxysmal means "from time to time".
Watch animation of catheter ablation procedure
Why UAB
UAB Heart & Vascular Services delivers optimal patient care for heart rhythm disorders. You will be cared for by regional and world leaders in the treatment of heart arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia, and other heart rhythm abnormalities.
Our physicians evaluate the newest treatments and technologies and author professional publications that advance the field of arrhythmia treatment. Their extensive experience and academic backgrounds ensure that they are familiar with all types of heart rhythm disorders. Our academic medical center performs more than 600 heart rhythm-related procedures each year, and our success in treating all types of complex arrhythmias is well-documented. Our electrophysiologists have access to the UAB Heart and Vascular Center, one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast. It features the most advanced technology available, including four procedural suites dedicated to electrophysiology (the electrical signals in the heart). At UAB Medicine you are part of a program that carries out pioneering work in atrial fibrillation and advanced pacemaker and cardioverter defibrillator design.
Images and Videos
Understand the risk factors and symptoms of heart arrhythmias, and when it is important for you to see a doctor.
Arrhythmia Risk Factors, Symptoms, & Treatments
If you've ever felt your heart skip a beat, you may have an arrhythmia. Tom McElderry, MD, an arrhythmia specialist at UAB, talks to Daytime Alabama on WVTM-TV, Channel 13, in Birmingham, Ala., about the symptoms and risk factors of arrhythmia, and what to do if you or a loved one experiences this condition.
Related Conditions
Listed below are some conditions that may be related to or share some similarities with the condition addressed on this page.
UAB is an active participant in research and clinical trials for the diagnosis and treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. We encourage you to speak to your physician about research and clinical trial options and browse the link below for more information.View Clinical Trials
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