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Drago speaking! Everyone, fold your wings straight, pencils sharpened, and tail wagging. Today's epic lesson is "How to draw a dragon step by step"! You must be roaring 'yay!' I know my lessons are exciting. But to get things started we're going to begin with the basics.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!

subset: commoncrawl


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Authentic Change
We desperately want change in our lives. We're out there making one effort after the next, only to find that we are running in place.
We all know the meaning of insanity, doing the same things and expecting different results. So we switch things up, and try new things. How is it that we push, and nothing seems to move?
Somehow, some way, we are having the same thoughts and emotions, supported by the same unnoticed, underlying beliefs. The same programming, the same outcomes. The Universe likes to keep it simple.
While we're running unawares in the same patterns and programs, the subsequent emotions are emitting vibes. Those vibes are telling the Universe that you want more life experiences that match that vibe.
What we think is how we feel, and what we feel is what we get.
The kicker is that we are so focused on having thought that we don't notice it.
You can never fix a leak if you don't know where it is. You'll just spend your life cleaning up after it.
When you practice being the eyewitness to thought, you notice the programming. You are then free to create authentic change, by moving your focus out of the chatty mind, and into lucidity.
When you are present, and perceive life with no mental evaluation, you are lucid.
When you jump out of the confines of thought, into lucidity, you connect with your Guidance, higher Intelligence, Intuition, Self, Consciousness, God. You step into that field of boundless possibility.
From the book, FUEL Your Life by Gina Charles
EMPOWERMENT: Today I will be the eyewitness to thought, so that I may step into lucidity and experience authentic change.
If this information resonates with you and you'd like to learn more:
Plug in with the Authentic Living Blog
Sit back and enjoy a HI-VIBE slideshow
Listen in to 2-minute blasts of personal rocket fuel
Take a peek at our Authentic living freebies
For more on Authentic Living, see books by Gina Charles at:
Amazon US
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iBooks and iTunes UK
FUEL excerpt, slideshow & video


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DJI Mavic Pro – Exporting Remote Controller Data with DJI Assistant 2- Published on: Feb 4, 2017
- From: DJI Support
- Info: The Mavic Pro stores two kinds of data. Aircraft data and remote controll data. If you are having issues with your remote controller DJI Support may request your remote controller data for analysis. 1 - Download DJI Assistant 2 from the official DJI website and install it. 2 - Connect the remote controller to your computer with a USB cable. 3 - Launch DJI Assistant 2. 4 - Power on the remote controller. 5 - Click Black Box in DJI Assistant 2. 6 - Click save to local and create a folder to which you will save the data. When Export Complete is shown in the app open your data folder to see all the exported remote controller data. Users cannot open the data files as they are encrypted. Please upload the contents of the folder to a cloud storage website and send the link to DJI Support.
Exporting Remote Controller Data
DJI Assistant 2
source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reRVldRx9Rk


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I have beans. Lot's and lot's and lot's of beans. With my in laws moving we have inherited a large portion of their food storage that they don't want to take along with them now that they don't have kids living at home. We inherited beans, wheat, and popcorn. And a lot of other stuff that I have no idea what to do with. But since a lot of the food given to us need to be used now, it was time to look for some great recipes to use up all of those beans.
It was too hot for soup which I usually use beans in, so it was time to come up with something different. I needed a good white bean recipe, and I found it!
This bean recipe comes from The Cozy Apron and tastes absolutely delicious. The bean dip tastes wonderful with the addition of garlic, lemon and bacon. It's a good for you dip that tastes great when placed a top a parmesan crisp.
A great tasting white bean dip recipe with bacon, lemon, and garlic placed on top a cheesy parmesan crisp.
- 2 15oz cans (or 3 cups) of great white northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped into tiny bite sized pieces
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 french baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Butter or olive oil, for brushing
- In a food processor place the beans, bacon, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Turn on the food processor and as the mixture blends, drizzle the water and oil into the mixture. Keep processing until smooth. Turn off the food processor and transfer the mixture to a saucepan. Heat on medium low, stirring occasionally while you prepare the parmesan crisps.
- Preheat oven to broil. Arrange each slice of bread on a baking sheet. On each slice of bread, brush a light layer of butter or oil over the top. Evenly divide the parmesan cheese and garlic among the slices of bread. Place the baking sheet in the oven for several minutes, or until bread is lightly browned. Watch the bread closely as it can burn quickly! Remove the crisps from the oven and place on a plate. Transfer the dip to a bowl, or divide among six small bowls. To eat, top each parmesan crisp with a generous layer of bean dip.
Recipe Adapted from Cozy Apron


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FC: The Cay By: Theodore Taylor | Moore | Gabrielle Moore
1: The book took place during World War II. On the island of Curacao, then because of World War II they get on a boat to Norfolk, Virginia but the ship was torpedoed and Phillip ends up on a raft with Timothy. Then for almost the rest of the book they live on the Cay. | The Setting
2: Phillip is a young boy about the age of eleven. Normal size, with brown hair and green or blue eyes. When the ship was torpedoed something hit him on the head and eventually made him blind.
3: Timothy is a old, black man with grayish hair. He doesn't have many friends and family. Just Phillip, everyone in his family has died. Timothy teaches Phillip everything he needs to know.
4: This book is mainly about a kid going to Norfolk, Virginia with his mom. The ship they were on was torpedoed and something hit the boy on the head. A old black man, Timothy, and a cat rescued him and put him on a raft. A little later, the boy becomes blind. Also, they then found a small cay and lived on that for about 3 or 4 months.
5: Timothy eventually died and Phillip was rescued by Navy men.


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This book is perfect for the BBQ season. The cookbook is called "Better Homes and Gardens All-Time Favorite Barbecue recipes". The table of contents states that there are recipes for main dishes, barbecue sauces and marinates, grill side recipes and barbecue basics. It has beautiful color pictures and large table graphs for grilling times. The book actually has a recipe for chili meat loaf, Kowloon duckling, Japanese style duckling and stuffed smoked salmon. The book is the first printing of the large format published in 1982 by the Meredith Corporation. The book is in very good condition. The only flaw I see is where price sticker was on it the paper has taken the "c" of barbecue and torn a narrow half inch away. The binding is tight and the pages are wrinkle free. Shipping weight is one pound. If you are into barbecuing this book would be a wealth of information and has delicious offerings I am sure you would love.
All-time Favorite Barbecue recipes Cookbook
since 2005


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HP Desktop Workstations
The world's first mini workstation designed for CAD users.1
The HP Z2 Mini Workstation
© Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Core, Core Inside, Xeon and Ultrabook are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. AMD and FirePro are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
This version of Windows running with the processor or chipsets used in this system has limited support from Microsoft. For more information about Microsoft's support, please see Microsoft's Support Lifecycle FAQ at https://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle
Not all features are available in all editions or versions of Windows. Systems may require upgraded and/or separately purchased hardware, drivers and/or software to take full advantage of Windows functionality. See http://www.microsoft.com
ENERGY STAR and the ENERGY STAR mark are registered trademarks owned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Microsoft and Windows are U.S. trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Intel, Core, Thunderbolt and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S.and other countries. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo and Quadro are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the US. and other countries. Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
1. Based on publically available information of workstation competitors as of October 3, 2016 with volume of at least 1 million units annually as of October 3, 2016 having < 3 litres volume, professional graphics, Intel® Xeon® quad core processor, ISV certifies applications, ECC memory.


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I remarked to Mr. Q this afternoon (as we were lounging about our room watching a football game) that I had really been looking forward to hanging out and doing nothing during our little trip, since the only time we allow ourselves to do that at home is during the girls naptime or after they've gone to bed.
Mr. Q. remarked that it was like the girls were taking a 72 hour nap instead of their usual 1 - 1.5 hours.
That struck me as funny, so I thought I'd share with you. Sadly, as many of my "funny stories" go, I guess you just had to be there.
2 weeks ago


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Stages Insights 2016: Method Park conference, including separate workshop day
Almost 100 participants joined the Method Park Stages Insights conference on 17th March in Fürth to learn how to establish effective and meaningful processes in product development. This year, Method Park hosted its conference with presentations, user reports and discussions focusing on methods and tools for successful process management. This is Method Park's tenth annual event.
Method Park supplies its process management tool 'Stages' and will release the latest Stages version [V7] in the course of 2016. Method Park CTO Erich Meier exclusively presented the new features of Stages V7 at the conference to the very absorbed audience.
Method Park experts offered individual consulting on solution approaches, for customer-specific challenges during the breaks in proceedings using the Consulting Café, which was fully booked by participants. Throughout the Stages Insights conference, participants had the opportunity to network with other participants and exchange information and experience at the booths of the Method Park partners, IBM and Pedco.
It became clear that having the right tool is no guarantee for reasonable processes but meaningful methodical approaches in implementing those tools is crucial.
All conference participants had the exclusive opportunity to join the "Process Management 4.0 Workshop" on 18th March, focusing on the so-called 'Stages Method'. This is based on the five steps towards sector-independent implementation and realization of process management.
Executives of companies from different industries such as BSH, BRP, Continental Automotive, ESCRYPT, ETAS, Evosoft, Hilti, Hella, Schaeffler Technologies, ZF Friedrichshafen and Siemens Healthcare, joined this year's Stages Insights conference.
"The varied content of presentations gave a good insight into the use of Stages and demonstrated how different customers apply the advantages of Stages. The presentation of the new Stages V7 features was extremely interesting", the Solutions Data and Project Manager at Continental Automotive, Michaela Daxl, said.
Method Park will host its next Stages Insights conference, in spring 2017. "The throughout positive and constructive feedback by our participants, confirms our conviction that methodical process management is extremely important for many companies", said CTO Erich Meier.
About Method Park
For many years Method Park has successfully offered consulting in questions of software for safety-critical systems in the automotive industry and in the medical technology area, for which the company develops its own software solutions. Method Park brings extensive know-how to fields with high and extremely high safety requirements. With this knowledge Method Park offers its customers a variety of solutions from a single source that contribute to the success of each company. Method Park is the competent partner for consulting, coaching, training, engineering services and products for all questions of software development processes. The "Stages" Web-based process management portal developed by Method Park supports users with the practical implementation of development processes. Stages ensures the realization of predefined quality standards and process models and can be integrated in all common development environments. Furthermore, Stages enables the global distribution of development tasks beyond corporate boundaries. Founded in Erlangen in 2001, Method Park employs around 125 persons at sites in Erlangen, Munich and Stuttgart, as well as in Detroit and Miami in the USA.
For further information please contact:
Dr. Christina Ohde-Benna, PR-Assistant
Method Park Holding AG, Wetterkreuz 19a, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Christina.Ohde-Benna(at)methodpark.de www.methodpark.de


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Centre's Highlights
Team Member Movements
Feature Story
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What's Trending Now
Latest Products & Offerings
Latest Programmes & Initiatives
Awards & Accolades
Industry Buzz
Destination Highlights
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NewsBytes from the
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
Latest update as at 29 November 2017
Centre's Highlights
Feature Story
03 Nov: Get Social With The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre!
After 22 issues of the SALAM newsletter and 13 issues of e-SALAM, it ...
Latest Products & Offerings
16 Oct: Sweet Deals at the Centre
The Centre recently held an exclusive event to showcase exciting ...
Awards & Accolades
16 Nov: Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Wins Third Consecutive Accolade at RAWR Awards 2017
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) scored a 'hattrick' at ...
Latest Programmes & Initiatives
19 Oct: Accredited Suppliers Programme Update
In an effort to advance its customer journey and based on client ...
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16 Oct: Most "Outstanding" at Culinaire Malaysia 2017!
The Centre's award-winning culinary team were "outstanding" at the ...
Chef's Kitchen
08 Nov: Chef's Kitchen - Pandan Crème Brulee
Try the easy recipe today.
Latest Programmes & Initiatives
19 Oct: A Majestic Creation for Yang Di-Pertuan Agong XV Sultan Muhammad V
Titled 'TIME', the Centre's majestic creation, which took three team ...
Get To Know Our Team Members
08 Nov: Spotlight On The Concierge!
This issue, the Centre sat down with Azizul and Rusydi, long-serving ...
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16 Oct: An Eye-Opening Experience for IAPCO Council Members!
The Centre was delighted to welcome the International Association of ...


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He hasn't been on TV lately with a new music but he is still very relevant in the industry.
The Eastern rapper is enraged because he was illegally detained by policemen for a whole night, he took to his Instagram page to voice his anger.
The rapper in his Instagram update wrote:
"Hello everyone.. With deep pain and anger.. Both for Nigerians and the Nigerian police force which FRANKLY speaking is d MOST corrupt system in Nigeria…… I was dragged to dis poo hole (even after my identity was disclosed to them) and harassed detained with my car from 10pm till this morning, for JUST pulling outta a friends place yesterday… I pleaded with dem, tried to understand what they were talking about till i was dragged to d police station were they put together a lie dat i took one way….just to extort money from me….
what pained me the most was how they were bringing in all sorts of innocent people.. and by morning the innocent people were all given a bill……. I maintained being calm because the police officers were oozing of serious alcohol… And still drinking in d police station… So i remained calm.. For fear of being shot for just asking questions why i was being dragged there…. Now ive seen policemen from THIS particular police division harass innocent people and No one is doing something about it……. If this post goes viral.. Id like to use this medium to alert the police commissioner and Lagos state government to look into these policemen and police area division before it gets worse than it already is… People in dat area are or have become scared of the terror and inhumane treatment from these policemen ….. PLEASE DEAR FUTURE LEADERS…. This is a post that should be taken seriously….. If you want our votes"


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Go Straight To (The) Jail!
Ladies, you better cover those ankles! Men, mind your manners while in public! Otherwise you could land yourself a stay at St. Augustine's Old Jail. As the story goes, railroad tycoon Henry Flager was less than fond of the central location of the original jail in the Nation's Oldest City. He was not thrilled that the high-society clientele staying at his famed Ponce De Leon Hotel (now Flagler College) would have a view of the prisoners on the chain gang, breaking blocks and building gallows. Flagler promptly went to the city and pled his case, asking that a new jail be built on the outskirts of town. The city responded with a unanimous 'no', so a few weeks later Mr. Flagler came back with ten thousand dollars, cash, and asked again. That got him the answer he wanted, and construction of the jail on the north side of town began. He requested it be painted a dusty rose so as to look like a prominent St. Augustine home, giving it more appeal. Imagine the red faces of those who have tried to check into the pretty pink bed and breakfast with the sweet smelling jasmine (that which all of St. Augustine is famous for) climbing up the porch!
The jail was finished in 1891 and was in operation until 1953. Today, it is a living history museum, where a prisoner trustee or perhaps one of the deputies will take you through this nationally-recognized historic building. They will tell you tales of life back in the late 1800s for the male and the female prisoners. If you are lucky, they might even sneak you into the office and the living quarters of Sheriff Joe Perry, which was connected to the jail itself. He lived there with his wife and two young children during his two terms as a St. John's County Sheriff.
Explore the maximum security cells. Take a look from behind death row's steel-barred window and see the gallows that awaited the men who built it themselves. You will learn some nifty-difty facts about how the number 13 got it's unlucky start, where the term "bean hole" came from, and even see news article replicas of the 8 men that were hanged there.
Be sure to pose for a mug shot with the life-size cut-outs, and get a shot of you inside the Old Bird Cage, which was kept for those who committed small crimes back in the day.
The Old Jail in St Augustine FL is a great way for people old and young to learn some history and have a great time doing it! When you get out of jail, if you're in the mood for more suitable accommodations, stop by Casa de Solana Bed & Breakfast. We take MUCH better care of our guests!


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This article appears in JMPer Cable, Issue 30, Summer 2015.
by Di Michelson di.michelson, Senior Analytical Training Consultant, SAS
Mark Bailey wrote an excellent article in Issue 29 of the JMPer Cable, detailing how to use data below a limit of detection. What do you do when you need to estimate that threshold of measurement? Analytical chemistry provides information about the concentration of an element or molecule in a substance (an analyte). Measurements of concentration have a natural bound at zero. The measurement process itself is variable, and it contains noise. Thus, measurements of a sample with known zero quantity of an analyte will result in non-zero responses. This background noise can be estimated to give a limit of detection (LOD): the upper bound on the noise of a measurement system.
To estimate the detection limit of the measurement method, we would like to find the lowest level of concentration where the results become indistinguishable from a zero reading. This is the point at which we would start to see signals for zero concentrations. Different methods for finding the LOD exist in the literature. Industry standards, including SEMI C10 (Guide for Determination of Method Detection Limits), ISO:11843 (Capability of Detection), and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Compendium of Analytical Nomenclature1, discuss methodologies for determining the detection limit. Most authors advise the use of the calibration curve to fit a linear model, followed by inverse prediction to find the LOD.
We will examine various methods to fit a linear model to a calibration curve, followed by estimating a prediction interval for future observations at the zero level, and finally, using inverse prediction of the upper bound to estimate the LOD. We will consider ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to fit a linear model to the calibration curve. Other methods popular in the literature are based on weighting schemes.
A 100(1–α)% prediction interval is a range of values of a variable with the property that if many such intervals are calculated for several samples, 100(1–α)% of them will contain one observation from a future realization of the process. A prediction interval is different from a confidence interval. A confidence interval gives limits in which we expect a population parameter, such as a mean or variance, to occur. A prediction interval gives limits in which we expect a future individual observation to occur.
You can find formulas for prediction interval calculations in the literature. The formula depends on the number of future observations to
be predicted. See Ramirez2 for an accessible discussion of statistical intervals.
As an example, consider an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) system that performs trace element analysis for the purpose of determining the amount of contaminants in a sample. A sample containing a known amount of a contaminant is measured. The response is signal intensity, measured in counts per second (CPS). The experiment is repeated for four known levels, including no contaminant at all. Figure 1 shows the data.
Figure 1 Data for contaminant levels and responses
Figure 2 shows a graph of the measured values against the known values shows that the data seem to follow a linear trend. It is notable that the variability at the zero concentration level is much less than that at other levels.
Figure 2 Regression plot of measured values versus known values
It can be hard to see the difference in variability at the zero level by using a scatterplot of the data. Instead, examine a plot of the residuals by the predicted response. The residual plot in Figure 3 clearly shows the variance is much higher where the element exists than where it doesn't. There are three observations plotted in the red circle.
Figure 3 Plot of residuals versus the predicted response
Many physical characteristics show heteroscedasticity, or the variance of the response changing over the range of the data. The variability of physical data often increases as the response increases. Ordinary least squares regression makes the assumption of homoscedasticity, or equal variances across the range of data. Therefore, naively, it might make sense to pursue methods to stabilize the variance.
One method of variance stabilization is to use weighted least squares (WLS) regression, which weights the data by the reciprocal of the variance within each group. Most calibration problems do not use samples that are large enough to estimate group variances with low uncertainty. Therefore, another popular method is to model the variance as well as the mean. JMP implements this model using the Loglinear Variance personality of Fit Model. We will demonstrate OLS and these two methods of WLS regression.
Heteroscedasticity does not affect the bias of the regression coefficients (slope and intercept) using ordinary least squares. It does affect the standard errors of the regression coefficients. However, for typical data like our simulated data, the variance of the CPS for the blank is much less than that for the non-blanks, and the variance of the non-blanks is what we would like to use to find prediction intervals for the detection limit. The reason for this seeming contradiction is that using the variance of the CPS
for the blank leads to prediction intervals that are too narrow. Narrow prediction intervals sound good but in practice can lead to unreasonable expectations. Therefore, the recommendation is to use ordinary least squares regression to find the prediction interval, followed by inverse prediction of the upper prediction limit to the regression line as shown in Figure 4. The Loglinear Variance model will also be shown to give reasonable predictions.
Figure 4 Ordinary least squares regression
We use the Fit Least Squares platform from Fit Model to fit a line to the data. You save the prediction formula and prediction interval by selecting Save Columns > Prediction Formula and Save Columns > Individual Confidence Limit Formula from the red triangle next to Response Counts per Second. Figure 5 shows the data.
Figure 5 Data with saved prediction formula and intervals
The estimate of the upper 95% prediction limit at zero is 109. Use inverse prediction to estimate the true concentration at this value. Return to the Fit Least Squares report. From the red triangle next to Response Counts per Second, select Estimates > Inverse Prediction. Enter 109 in the first blank space and click OK a shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6 Entering the estimated upper 95% prediction limit
The predicted value of the response is 9.6, and that is our estimate of the detection limit as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7 Predicted value of the response
Some industry standard documents, notably SEMI C10, recommend weighted least squares regression. Let's compare the inverse prediction from the OLS prediction interval with that derived from WLS.
Weighted least squares uses weights on the data in order to stabilize the variance. An ad hoc method for weighting is to use the reciprocal variance of groups as the weights. To find the variance of each group, summarize the data using Tables > Summary. Add Standard Concentration as a grouping column, select Counts per Second, and then click Statistics > Variance to ask for the variance of CPS by group. Click OK.
Next, add a new column containing a formula to the summary table. This formula will contain the reciprocal of the variance of each group as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8 Formula for the reciprocal of each group's variance
The summary table contains the grouping variable, the sample size and variance for each group, and the inverse variance for each group as shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9 Summary table
The inverse variance needs to go back into the original data table. Return to the original table and use Tables > Join to add the column of inverse variances as shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10 Joining the original and summarized data
The resulting table, shown in Figure 11, contains the columns from the original table in addition to the new weighting column.
Figure 11 Joined data
The regression model can now be fit again, this time using the Inverse Variance column in the Weight role as shown in Figure 12.
Figure 12 Specifying the Inverse Variance column
Again, save the prediction formula and prediction interval to the data table by clicking the red triangle and selecting Save Columns > Prediction Formula and Save Columns > Indiv Confidence Limit Formula. The OLS regression prediction columns have been hidden in the table shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13 Data with saved prediction formula and intervals
The estimate of the upper 95% prediction limit at zero is 0.03, four orders of magnitude smaller than that found by using OLS regression! Use inverse prediction once again to find the estimate of the detection limit. From the red triangle, select Estimates > Inverse Prediction. Enter 0.03 and click OK.
Figure 14 Inverse Prediction for Standard Concentration
As shown in Figure 14, the prediction is 0.0014, which is the estimate of the detection limit. This number is much smaller than that given by OLS regression (9.6). It may seem like a smaller number would be better, but WLS can lead to estimates that are known to be ridiculously small by the practitioner. For example, matching systems is sometimes done using the LOD. LODs that are too small can lead to systems that are not matched statistically, but for all practical purposes, can be considered to measure the same. This can lead to problems justifying the use of good systems with auditors.
One reason the prediction limit is so small, which results in a similarly small estimated detection limit, is that the group variance for the zero level is much less than the group variance for the other levels. Therefore, the inverse variance of the zero level is huge compared with the others.
One remedy for this is to model not only the mean response but the variance of the response as well. This method is particularly useful if you can assume the variance is proportional to the mean, for example. In addition to modeling the mean response with regressors, the Loglinear Variance model uses regressors to model the log of the variance. That is,
where the columns of X are the regressors for the mean response and the columns of Z are the regressors for the variance of the response. The parameters of the model for the mean are β, and the parameter of the model for the variance is λ. Find more information on the Loglinear Variance model in Fitting Linear Models from Help > Books in JMP.
Using Fit Model, specify the Counts per Second as Y and Standard Concentration as the Mean Effect. Next, select the Loglinear Variance personality as shown in Figure 15. Select the Variance Effects tab at the bottom, add the Standard Concentration, and then run the model.
Figure 15 Fit Model Specification
The Loglinear Variance Fit report contains estimates of both β, and λ, , as well as fit statistics. Save the prediction formula and prediction interval by clicking the red triangle next to Loglinear Variance Fit and selecting Save Columns > Prediction Formula, then again, Save Columns > Indiv Confidence Interval. Figure 16 shows the prediction limits saved in the data table.
Figure 16 Upper prediction limit
The upper prediction limit is 81. The Fit LogVariance report does not allow for inverse prediction, but it is simple to do with the Profiler. Return to the Fit LogVariance window. From the red triangle, select Profilers > Profiler. Drag the Standard Concentration slider to the left until the prediction of Counts per Second is near 81 (Figure 17). You can adjust the scale of the X axis if necessary to zoom in on the region of interest.
Figure 17 Inverse predictions in the Prediction Profiler
The inverse prediction is around 6.9, still a smaller number than 9.6 that was found using OLS regression, but much more reasonable than 0.0014 found using inverse variance weights.
Reasonable predictions are found in this example by both OLS regression and Loglinear Variance regression. In both models, the variance of the blanks does not overwhelm the calculation of the prediction interval for the zero level. The variance of the blanks leads to very small estimated detection limits when using the inverse variance as weights. Using OLS regression leads to a more conservative estimate of the detection limit as does Loglinear Variance regression. As George Box famously said, all models are wrong, but some models are useful. In the case of finding the limit of detection, OLS and Loglinear Variance regression models lead to useful inverse predictions.
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Insight Vineyard Dry Riesling
Made by Eveline Fraser (ex Cloudy Bay) this wine offers the classic aromatic Riesling nose of zesty citrus fruit along with an almost-Germanic level of minerality. Undoubtedly thirst-quenching, crisp and juicy, the palate has vibrant tropical fruit and cleansing mineral tones.
13WNZ002Insight Vineyard Dry Riesling
€ 16.95


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Wednesday, 30 September 2015
Oliver: The Pixies - Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons (29 December 1991)
This track from The Pixies's Trompe Le Monde album is the type that wears rock critics' warmest adjectives like a pair of gloves: "Full flowering of their talents", "a mature, fully formed work", "essential listening", "at the top of their game". All these and more fit this piece of music. It all starts with that contrast between the initially mournful organ chords and the solidity of the drum-bass line. A piece of backing rhythm so solid, you could build a house on it. And then, Black Francis starts the vocals, originally down low in his chest, but progressively soaring higher and higher like Icarus.
By this time, The Pixies were as big as they were ever going to be and, inevitably, all that was left to follow was the fall. This was a valedictory play on the Peel Show. As the John Peel wiki shows, from 1992 onwards, The Pixies became a band of the past. Purely because they were now set to fly into their own mountain of a break-up within a year or so of this broadcast. Perhaps, they knew it themselves, especially given this track's ending which evokes all too well the final moments of serenity before impact, which arrives by the pulling of guitar leads.
Video courtesy of Crackerdamus101.
Saturday, 26 September 2015
Oliver: Organised Konfusion - Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken? (29 December 1991)
You may be tempted to groan with apprehension when Pharoae Monch kicks this cut off by lamenting that back in the 70s "the only AIDS you used to know was Kool-Aids". The hip-hop/rap community of the late 80s/early 90s were notorious for not being particularly sensitive in their treatment of such topics. But, you can relax. Peel wouldn't give house room to anything that crass and neither do Organised Konfusion, who turn in an absolute treat here.
When I reviewed The Rough Side of Town having already heard Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken? I wondered whether nostalgia for simpler, innocent times was the main focus of their work. The former reflected on neighbourhood changes; this recalled the pleasure of Momma's fried chicken and their childhoods. Having listened to their debut album today, the nostalgia angle doesn't fully sum up their over-riding theme. Rap battles, religion and chemical weapons all pop up through the record, but its Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken? that stands out best. A funny, charming track reminiscing about childhood games of SWAT; fat, nosy neighbours with baseball bats; rude games of Show'n'Tell with equally curious eight year old girls and the allure of that titular dish. Yes, it could be said that it's, at root, a more cutting edge version of The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff's, Summertime, but it's a rare example of a track that merits having a remix of it on the same album.
Word of caution about the end of the video, for some reason the director's seen fit to get one of the more overweight members of the juvenile cast to do something rather lewd with a chicken drumstick. What do they think they're making? Killer Joe? (Link definitely NSFW).
So good, they gave it to us twice.
Videos courtesy of cocaineblunts and CaNPaLetFiNeSt.
Saturday, 19 September 2015
Oliver: John Peel Show - Radio 1 (Saturday 28 December 1991)
The penultimate Peel show of 1991 and all selections were taken from a 90 minute mixtape. I made 12 selections and present 11 of them in the next batch of posts. The only one I haven't shared is on YouTube but is in incomplete form:
Daddy Yod - Ragamuffin : this features the Guadeloupe born ragga toaster giving it his all. French speaking ragga fans may also enjoy the fact that his series on the history of French Ragga is also up on YouTube, it appears going by its duration to be an epic on a par with The World at War.
One other selection missed the cut between initial choice and posting. Streetsweeper by Unsane was that rarest of things: a dull Unsane track. As you will see below, Unsane did get used in this programme, but I give due warning that the video that accompanies the track is taken from one of the most notorious horror films of the 1970s, Cannibal Holocaust. Those of a squeamish disposition, take note!
Programme tracklisting.
Daddy Yod - Ragamuffin : this features the Guadeloupe born ragga toaster giving it his all. French speaking ragga fans may also enjoy the fact that his series on the history of French Ragga is also up on YouTube, it appears going by its duration to be an epic on a par with The World at War.
One other selection missed the cut between initial choice and posting. Streetsweeper by Unsane was that rarest of things: a dull Unsane track. As you will see below, Unsane did get used in this programme, but I give due warning that the video that accompanies the track is taken from one of the most notorious horror films of the 1970s, Cannibal Holocaust. Those of a squeamish disposition, take note!
Programme tracklisting.
Friday, 18 September 2015
Oliver: Smashing Orange - Only Complete in You (28 December 1991)
So in the great battle of the early 90s, what side were you on? Were you a Pumpkinhead or an Orangina? Alas, there was only room for one band named after an act of violence against a piece of grocery, and ultimately it was Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins who took the spoils, while Rob Montejo and Smashing Orange were forced to trudge back to Wilmington, Delaware with the label, "America's best kept secret" ringing in their ears.
Leaving aside the problems of having nearly the same associative name as another, more successful band, it's worth noting that for a time, Smashing Orange enjoyed a higher level of professional respect, particularly in Britain where their records were seen as meatier, heavier, rockier shoe gazer tunes than pretty much any other British band of the time, outside of My Bloody Valentine. Unlike Kevin Shields and co. the mixing on Smashing Orange records allowed you to hear every word that Montejo sang, as well as doing a pretty poor separation job between the drums, which are pushed up in the mix, and the guitars which form a rather mushy background. However, what made this track stand out for me was the use of what sounds like an organ, but could be another processed guitar part. It drives the song in dementedly determined fashion like Willy Wonka's paddle-steamer. I just wish it could be presented here as it sounded on the radio.
Shoegaze records are made to be heard through a radio and on a mix-tape. One reason I've always made mixtapes from the radio is because of the enveloping aural hug it gives to the listener; that teasing of what Thurston Moore in his 2004 curated book, Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture calls the ear-heart, that part of your brain that receives the analogue stimulus that a tape can provide. I've had plenty of those resuscitations down the years, both from Peel and his successors. Tracks which sound fine when played on a CD, but which take on an extra layer of frisson when heard on a tape, recorded from the radio. I could cite examples like the keyboards on All Change of Heart by Lianne Hall and Pico, the opening guitar attack of Forget It by Corrigan or Trouble by The Madeleines, the trumpet part on a live recording of the Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager by Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly or the reverb vocal on Need U by Oceaan. They've all tickled my ear-heart and ended up on a tape. Here, it's that organ effect that shoots the arrow straight to my ear-heart.
There's reason to believe that all shoegaze tracks are essentially about drugs, and the ones here about loving the mirror more than life itself are Exhibit A as far as I'm concerned.
Video courtesy of sadmindSCM.
Tuesday, 15 September 2015
Oliver: Billy Bragg - Accident Waiting to Happen [Peel Session] (28 December 1991)
Over the last year, this blog has enjoyed some moments of fortuitous timing. I started it almost on the 10th anniversary of Peel's last Radio 1 show. I wrote about Public Enemy the week they brought out a new album. Now, our first selection from Billy Bragg comes a few days after the Labour Party, for the first time in well over 25 years, elects a leader that one can really see Bragg getting comfortably behind.
Like Peel's programme, this blog's relationship with politics will only be touched upon occasionally. The main reason for this is that my own politics are all over the place. If it's possible to be a capitalist, liberal, socialist then that's me. I want to live comfortably and to get on in life, but I want a society that supports its most vulnerable and keeps the safety net in place for those who cannot work, all while allowing people to say and think what they want (providing it does no harm to anyone else). So, the moon on a stick basically. But if that all seems rather woolly, a look at Billy Bragg's Twitter page provides a quote which sums me up in a nutshell: "A progressive is someone who wants to see society re-organised so that everyone has access to the means by which to reach their full potential."
When you read a quote as clear-sighted and warm-hearted as that, it makes me want to bang the heads together of those Labour MPs who've responded to Jeremy Corbyn's victory by saying, "I'll sit this one out thanks, until we can project nothingness as what we stand for again".
Even if I was completely diametrically opposed to Billy Bragg's politics, I'd still respect him and even more now. After all, in 1987 he appeared on Channel 4's open-ended discussion programme, After Dark, the night after the Conservative Party had won a third term in government under Margaret Thatcher. On the show, a potentially sleep-deprived and triumphalist Tory MP, Teresa Gorman told Bragg, "You and your kind are finished. We are the future now." before walking off set. I can't imagine how he must feel to hear members of his own party all but spouting the same thing, throughout this summer. Regardless of how things turn out in 2020, Bragg deserves a week of quiet satisfaction before the hard work really begins.
1991/92 saw Bragg brace himself for another unsuccessful general election by releasing an album called Don't Try This At Home, which could be called the Billy Bragg overground album: Bragg backed by a full band on some tracks; by a string quartet on others; releasing singles and videos including the delightfully playful, Sexuality. Inevitably a session for Peel, his seventh was recorded and transmitted in June 1991 and showed that even attempts to package Billy for the Our Price crowd couldn't dull his political or romantic edge. Accident Waiting to Happen, the only song from the session that I heard on the 28/12/91 recording was from the former branch of his songwriting. The Bard of Barking is on fine lyrical form: "I've always been impressed by a girl who could sing for her supper and get breakfast as well" is a cracking opening couplet. In trying to read the song, I veer between thinking that its addressed to right-wingers in one hearing, "Goodbye and good luck to all
the rubbish that you've spoken", but in the next line, I think that it could be addressed more to former comrades who may have switched sides from left to right, either at local or national level, "Goodbye and good luck to all the promises you've broken." An impression which seems to be confirmed as we head into the title line, "Your life has lost its dignity, its beauty and its passion". And then, well Blairites and Corbynistas can split the vote on who the title line should be bellowed at. One thing's for sure, though, we're going to be seeing a lot more of Billy over the next 5 years. Hope Huw Stephens is poised with the keys to Maida Vale...
The '91 Peel Session is available but this version is from an appearance on Australian TV. It's tremendous and connoisseurs will be delighted to see the Billy Bragg bow is present and correct at the end.
The full Peel session from 1991 featuring The Few, Accident Waiting to Happen, Tank Park Salute and Life with the Lions.
Videos courtesy of Peter Demetris and vibracobra23 with thanks to @keepingitpeel.
Sunday, 13 September 2015
Oliver: Unsane - Jungle Music (28 December 1991)
CAUTION - Video is definitely NSFW
First of all, apologies for the video. It was the only one I could find which just had Jungle Music on its own. Most unforgivably, it gives away the end of Cannibal Holocaust, a movie which many have praised for its political slant in showing how civilised society's sees "uncivilised" society as something to exploit for ratings and sensationalism, but which director, Ruggero Deodato said was just an excuse for him to make a film about cannibals.
As for the music, a final flourish for the year from Unsane, also named after a horror movie, Dario Argento's 1982 film, also known as Tenebrae. It would have been remiss of me not to include something from Peel's end of year shows for them. This frenetic and thrilling tune would be a good match for a horror film soundtrack and with good reason too, as by the middle of 1992, events within the Unsane camp would also take a turn for the macabre with the death of drummer, Charlie Ondras from a drug overdose.
Video courtesy of Drew Gordon.
Saturday, 12 September 2015
Oliver: The Ukranians - Hopak (28 December 1991)
When I reviewed The Wedding Present's version of the Orange Juice song, Felicity, I was a bit dismissive about The Ukranians offshoot. To me, it seemed like they were trying too hard to show how kerr-azy they were. But in music, as in life, it pays to do a little research. The Wedding Present's then guitarist, Peter Solowka, who has a Ukranian father used to play this song to entertain his friends. It was recorded for the Wedding Present's November 1986 session and provoked such a strong reaction that the group embarked on a further three sessions devoted entirely to Ukranian music between 1987-89. Some of these sessions are commercially available. Somehow, knowing that one of the band was honouring his heritage makes the endeavour seem a lot less insultingly frivolous.
By the early 90s, tensions in The Wedding Present, saw Solowka leave and form his own group dedicated to performing compositions that respected the spirit of the music of Ukraine, while imbuing it with an indie/punk sound. They are still going today, though it seems that they have recently started to focus more on providing Ukranian flavoured versions of Western pop music.
Hopak is an old Ukranian folk dance. The Ukranians version of it appears to be based on one part of the dance. Reading about it, I wish I'd known about it in advance of my wedding as it would have made a nice counterpoint to the Ceildh music we had the day after the service. The Ukranians version is a real floor filler; a Zorba the Greek for the slacker generation.
We would have been storming this a fortnight ago in South Kerry.
Videos courtesy of Miik004 (Ukranians) and welcome2ukraine (dance).
Thursday, 10 September 2015
Oliver: The Boo Radleys - Towards the Light/Lazy Day [Peel Session] (28 December 1991)
"Wake up it's a beautiful morning.
Chris Evans on your radio.
Wake up, it's so beautiful.
Chris Evans with your breakfast show." But I'm getting ahead of myself....
(Lyrics copyright of Martin Carr and some wonk in advertising who managed to peg their hack work onto Carr's talent).
At the point that they enter my musical journey, The Boo Radleys were preparing material for their second album, and first on Creation Records: Everything's Alright Forever. An inevitable step along the way was their third session for Peel, recorded in September 1991 and broadcast a week before the starting point for this blog on 26 October 1991. The two songs I caught don't really stand out; they both clock in around 100 seconds apiece with Lazy Day marginally the better of the two. Short, sweet and shoegazey, but at least Sice Rowbottom's voice already sounded otherworldly enough before the phasing effects were applied. But even under all of that, Martin's Carr's gift for melody could not be suppressed.
The session isn't available for sharing, so it's the studio versions instead and the video for Lazy Day at least gives me opportunity to reflect on the issue of bad haircuts. I was all set to slam the Boos,
particularly Sice and bassist, Tim Brown for their hair at that time, until I remembered that I wasn't doing much better, tonsorially in 1991 either. For most of my childhood, I was a three haircuts a year man. It was boring, sitting around waiting to have it done. I usually got it cut when summer was kicking in but the rest of the year was a moveable feast. I can't grow my hair long, well I can but it's thick Irish hair as my mother calls it and grows up faster than it grows down. Boo Radley drummer, Rob Cieka does a better job of carrying off my hair than I do, but he had the best hair in that band, aided as he was by the fact that black men can carry off funky hairstyles which white men should never go near. Martin Carr shrewdly adopted the ruse of wearing a hat over his mass of curls, thereby giving him the whiff of Lennon in '64. But Sice and Brown were ghastly and success and its attendant stylists thankfully meant that Sice's mid-life crisis mullet on a receding hairline and Brown's rustic farm labourer look were soon on the barber's floor, and not a moment too soon.
I meanwhile was blissfully rocking a village idiot look with my unkempt bird's nest. It took the school photo for that year to wake me up to how dreadful it looked. The deal was sealed when some friends of my parents asked for a copy of that photo to send to a teenaged relative of theirs in the States. I felt sorry for her in advance, knowing it would be the most repellent thing she would see that year and so as '91 rolled into '92, I started paying bi-monthly visits to the barber.
In recent years, as other expenses have accrued, haircuts have become scarcer again. I ended up taking a photo at the end of one seven month period of growth. It still looks wild and uncontrolled when I let it grow and I feel more virile when it's like that. It's due for the chop again after four months, soon, but I still prefer it to how Sice looked in '91 and he may look longingly for what was lost at it himself if we should ever meet.
Videos courtesy of #TheBooRadleys and TheBooRadleysVEVO.
Sunday, 6 September 2015
Oliver: PJ Harvey - Dress (28 December 1991)
Although John Peel gave airtime to thousands of bands/artists during his career, only a miniscule fraction of them enjoyed what I would call a full-career relationship with him. What I mean by this is that Peel was with them when they started and they were still with him when he died. Leaving aside musicians whose careers predated Peel's, I can only come up with a handful of names: Captain Beefheart, Mark E.Smith, David Gedge, Billy Bragg perhaps. 1991 though saw another name join that tiny list, the incomparable Polly Jean Harvey, who burst out of the rock 'n' roll hotbed that is Yeovil to claim a place in Peel's affections for the rest of his life. Through several different stylistic shifts, he stayed true to her, though I suspect his preference was for the jumper and Doc Martens era Polly of Dry and Rid of Me, ahead of the False Eyelashes phase of To Bring You My Love, which was when I got into her.
Harvey's songs occupied some kind of long, desert road which when travelled would bring the listener into contact with murderesses, prostitutes, criminals, missing children, artists, lovers, religious maniacs, Adam and Eve, God and the Devil. No matter what guise she took on, whether she was storm tossed angel or painted vampire, she created sound pictures, often out of sketchy and raw instrumentation that were (are) compelling, dramatic, occasionally scary, often seductive and always fascinating to listen to. Couple such immense musical invention with her very singular look -dressed up or dressed down; with either a quizzical, teasing smile or a careworn, world-weary frown; that lean nose and face made her look quite unlike anyone else around, it all added up to one of the great British rock music talents of the last 25 years.
Dress was her calling card single, apparently played by Peel for the first time on 28 September 1991.
It owes the majority of its interest to this listener on its adherence to the whip crack drum beat and whip line tight guitar figure of its opening 30 seconds before rumbling into the warm bath of Polly's voice and the meaty guitar wash that propels the song forward. That opening verse, in which she talks about wearing the titular garment to go dancing and catch the eye of the object of her desire lays down one of Harvey's key lyrical themes of her work: the desire to please men. In the battle of the sexes, many of her heroines seemed in thrall to men who in songs like C'Mon Billy seem either to be dangerous or unworthy of her. But amid the glorious cliche trope of dressing up to go dancing, bedrock of hundreds of songs dating back to popular music's earliest days, she suddenly throws in the lyrical curveball about the dress causing her to spin over like "a heavy loaded fruit tree" - an image which may well be the best lyric I've heard in these 1991 recordings outside of The Field Mice summing up my unrequited love.
Straight out of the chorus and the muscular riff is supplemented by a Bernard Hermannesque violin,
played by Polly herself. It's touches such as these which suggested that she had a vision for her
music that transcended mere rock chickery: somehow American without being American and leading me to wonder what they put in the water in Yeovil and can more of us drink it? The PJ Harvey template continues to be sketched out as the song progresses: the increasing frustration/desperation at not being able to get what she wants; the attentions of a beer soaked/nicotine stained suitor reminding her of what he has already given her; finally the suggestion of violence and rape - "a fallen woman in a dancing costume". This last point is hammered home in the closing movement as drum, guitar and bass beat out the rhythm together, while the violin squeals away over the top like an ejaculatory burst at the end of a brutal, grinding encounter.
The standout track of the 1991 Peelenium, if she had never recorded another note, Harvey would have secured a place in music history with this marvellous song, but there was more to come, much more and Peel took it with him, all the way to the end.
Video courtesy of TheSampler2010.
Tuesday, 1 September 2015
Oliver: First Offence - Round 'n' Round (28 December 1991)
We're back and we're married!
Yes, on the 28th of August, I tied the knot with my partner of 13 years and it feels fantastic. I feel elated, loved up, very happy and ready for new challenges and fresh starts. I'm returning to the blog with energy replenished and with loads of Peel selections to share and write about. At time of writing, I am listening to the 25 January 1992 show and have a few choices already made. Life couldn't be better and with this in mind, I return to my list of selections from the 28/12/91 Best of the Year show, ready for something to match my life-affirming mood.
A plasticine person with a plasticine life
With your plasticine kids and your plasticine wife.
It's a feeling of strife when you look at the wife
And she's laying next to you on the bed.
You think "Damnation, I want to start over"
And wishing that she was dead.
Lay back on your pillow and reminisce on the time you were young and free.
Never a thought of marriage and kids, now you have a wife and three.
(Lyrics - copyright of Steve Harris and First Offence)
This is a hard track for me to review at the moment. When you're happy and you know it, you can't fully embrace a misanthropic track about marriage and the daily grind of work, regardless of how brilliantly done it is. Nevertheless, I am conscious that a week from now "The six o'clock alarm call smacks you in the head" will be all too true. It would have definitely made it on to a mixtape given its relevance to the school experience too.
First Offence were formed in Little Hulton near Salford and their story seems to be one of those terribly sad ones that litter the music industry of a group picked up and dumped just when they were ready to properly get going. After releasing three singles, they were all set to release an album; the Fawlty Towers riffing, Flowery Twats, when in the words of vocalist Steve Harris, in an interview with Manchester Evening News in 2010, "Everything was on the way up then everything kind of folded really". When listening to a track like Miracle on Kenyon Shops, which sounds at this distance like an ancestor to Thou Shalt Always Kill by Scroobius Pip and Dan le Sac, we can only lament the loss of a potentially wonderful album. Happily, First Offence have a YouTube channel with most of their released and unreleased material on it. Harris bounced back from the disappointment of First Offence's demise by going into stand-up comedy. As these tracks show, his sour, quickfire delivery made it an ideal career choice.
Videos courtesy of FirstOffence.
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Pakistani Ringneck Parrot Talking
The Alexandrine parakeet is one of the largest species of parakeet (long tail) species, thus often being the largest parrot in their native range. This species measures 58 cm (23 in) in total length with a wing length averaging 18.9–21.5 cm (7.4–8.5 in) and a tail length of 21.5–35.5 cm (8.5–14.0 in). Adult birds commonly weigh between 200 and 300 g (7.1 and 10.6 oz).[4][5] It is mainly green with a blue-grey sheen on its cheeks and nape, particularly in males. The abdomen is yellowish-green, the upperside of the middle tail feathers is blueish-green, the upperside of the external tail feathers is green while the underside of the tail feathers are all yellow. All Alexandrine parakeets (irrespective of age, gender and/or sub-species) boldly display a maroon (reddish-brown) patch at the top of their wing coverts (commonly called 'shoulder' patch). The shoulder patch is seen in parakeets at their first feathering before fledging. The lower and upper mandibles are red with yellow tips. The adult's irises are yellowish-white and the periopthalmic rings are light grey. The legs are grey except in the P. e. siamensis (Laos' or Siamese sub-species) where they are yellowish-grey.
The species is dimorphic in adulthood (3 years and older). The immatures are monomorphic and are similar but duller in appearance to that of the adult females. Adult males always show pitch-black neck rings and large pink bands on their napes (commonly called nape bands). Often males only display a narrow band of blueish-grey above their bold pink nape-band. Adult females frequently show neck ring shadows that are anywhere between light and dark shades of grey. Females never display true black feathers in their neck-rings. Immatures of either genders are very similar to adult females but, as with all genuine parakeet species, the young Alexandrine parakeets always display shorter middle-tail feathers and thus shorter tails than adults. The adult feathering usually is acquired between 18–30 months of age, but may sometimes show up as young as 12 and/or as old as a full 36 months of age. Consequently, it may be difficult to identify the sex of Alexandrine parakeets by sight with absolute certainty until they are a full 36 months of age.
The young males can be identified as soon as they display one (or more) pitch-black feathers of their neck rings and/or one (or more) pink feathers of their nape bands. Often, the young males develop their neck rings and nape bands in two or sometimes three successive moulting seasons. Adult parakeets with neither pitch-black feathers in their neck rings nor pink feathers in their nape bands are usually females.


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Six months after scourging a jungle village, members of paramilitary Unit 72 receive a mysterious distress call and are sent back in to hunt down any possible survivors. But after a strange accident strands the team, they soon fall prey to unknown forces in the jungle who are now seeking vengeance.
Steven Addair – Writer


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I have been torturing myself and looking back at Bennett's pictures as a newborn.
He is certainly way more toddler-ish than baby-ish now.
And he is so so fun.
I just know that I am going to miss it.
Even this stage.
And I wish time would chill out and slow down a bit.
All of this little guys quirks, and his blossoming personality. :)
This usually involves a shriek of disapproval when his toy is taken away, or if he is getting smothered too hard.
It might also be a shriek of approval when they are all having fun together.
Although it is not the most pleasant sound, it is nice that he can kind of speak his mind now.
We have an explorer on our hands.
He loves to crawl around touching everything.
Opening everything.
Anything that spins is spun.
Anything that has a hole is poked.
And anything that is a rock is put into his mouth.
I think he may be a tad indecisive, and I hope he outgrows it soon.
He is super happy, until he's not.
He wants to be held, but wants to be put down.
He wants another bite, but might drop it on the ground.
We have another animal lover here too.
He makes the cutest little kitty sound I've ever heard.
It is so sweet and quiet and opposite of that new shriek he has learned.
likes |
We have a biter! He has bitten his brothers on occasion, but he mostly likes to gnaw on his crib. Good thing this is it's last use, because it is going to need a total makeover and this guy is done with it. *sigh*
He will eat anything. Really. If it is put in front of him, he will eat it. We have also learned that he is not allergic to eggs or peanuts. So that is a plus.
Obsessed with his daddy still.
Loves to laugh and dance... he thinks he is hilarious.
He likes to play music.
He likes to drive in tractors, and play in the dirt.
dislikes |
He is really pretty chill....
But I suppose he doesn't like getting changed. Diaper or clothes.
He doesn't like having what he is playing with getting taken away.
He doesn't like to feel left out. He has major FOMO... especially with daddy.
And I have a really hard time trying to get him to smile at the camera. He thinks I am so lame.
milestones |
He can say... mama, dada, bubu, uhoh, no, up, more, and he can meow and bark. haha.
He has 6 teeth.
He is about 25 pounds and 29 inches.
He has been pushing around his little baby walker lots, and will inevitably try to start walking soon.
And here is a little walk down memory lane...
Bennett Zane, you are one LOVED little boy!!!!


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17 weeks pregnant with momo twins
Hello ladies, I am Christina. Today hd bn for my u/s and found out i am having momo twins. Was excited but terrified too. This is my first pregnancy and i am really very...
Started by Christina on 05/27/2017 in MoMo Twins
Last update on 05/27/2017 by Christina


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Tuckpointing Tuckpointing is a critical maintenance task and keeps water from entering the brick wall cavity. If water is allowed to get past the mortar and into the wall, brick failure may occur such as cracking or spalling (popping off of the brick face).
Masonry RepairWe work on repairing broken bricks and mortar that may be allowing energy to escape from your home. The unsightly looks of broken bricks and mortar can depreciate the value of your home.
Waterproofing & SealantsPrevent having moisture seep into your bricks, which can cause extensive damage over time. Mold can form in those small unprotected areas. Keep your house energy efficient by having your house completely sealed from the elements.
Chemical Cleaning Living in an urban environment, your brick work will suffer from the elements and pollution. Chemical Cleaning can help make your bricks and mortar look like new, bringing up the value of your home.
Caulking Protect those small areas on your brickwork by having them properly sealed with specialized outdoor rated caulking. The elements in Chicago can cause major damage to any exposed brickwork.


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This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)
R-SMADs are receptor-regulated SMADs. SMADs are transcription factors that transduce extracellular TGF-β superfamily ligand signaling from cell membrane bound TGF-β receptors into the nucleus where they activate transcription TGF-β target genes. R-SMADS are directly phosphorylated on their c-terminus by type 1 TGF-β receptors through their intracellular kinase domain, leading to r-SMAD activation.[1]
R-SMADS include SMAD2 and SMAD3 from the TGF-β/Activin/Nodal branch, and SMAD1, SMAD5 and SMAD8 from the BMP/GDP branch of TGF-β signaling.[1]
In response to signals by the TGF-β superfamily of ligands these proteins associate with receptor kinases and are phosphorylated at an SSXS motif at their extreme C-terminus. These proteins then typically bind to the common mediator Smad or co-SMAD SMAD4.
Smad complexes then accumulate in the cell nucleus where they regulate transcription of specific target genes:
- SMAD2 and SMAD3 are activated in response to TGF-β/Activin or Nodal signals.
- SMAD1, SMAD5 and SMAD8 are activated in response to BMPs bone morphogenetic protein or GDP signals.
SMAD6 and SMAD7 may be referred to as I-SMADs (inhibitory SMADS), which form trimers with r-SMADS and block their ability to induce gene transcription by competing with r-SMADs for receptor binding and by marking TGF-β receptors for degradation.
See alsoEdit
- ^ a b Wharton K, Derynck R (November 2009). "TGFbeta family signaling: novel insights in development and disease". Development. 136 (22): 3691–7. doi:10.1242/dev.040584. PMID 19855012.
Further readingEdit
- Moustakas A, Souchelnytskyi S, Heldin CH (December 2001). "Smad regulation in TGF-beta signal transduction". J. Cell Sci. 114 (Pt 24): 4359–69. PMID 11792802.
External linksEdit
- R-Smad+Proteins at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
|This molecular or cell biology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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Please don't let this shake your faith in those in charge of security procedures at America's airport checkpoints:
In a massive security breach, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) inadvertently posted online its entire airport screening procedures manual, including some of the most closely guarded secrets regarding special rules for diplomats and CIA and law enforcement officers.
The most sensitive parts of the 93-page Standard Operation Procedures were apparently redacted in a way that computer savvy individuals easily overcame.
The document shows sample CIA, Congressional and law enforcement credentials which experts say would make it easy for terrorists to duplicate.
The improperly redacted areas describe that only 20 percent of checked bags are to be hand searched for explosives and reveals in detail the limitations of x-ray screening machines.
"This is an appalling and astounding breach of security that terrorists could easily exploit," said Clark Kent Ervin, the former inspector general at the Department of Homeland Security. "The TSA should immediately convene an internal investigation and discipline those responsible."Just in time for the holiday travel season. And this is the same government that, by the way, wants to take over the medical delivery system, including gaining control of individual medical records. Wired.com has more on the TSA security breach.


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But not the standard type of 'Vietnam-war vet' experience of PTSD, more something that's now referred to as Complex PTSD.
The following quote comes from Ace Tray's answer to this question on Quora:
What distinguishes complex PTSD from PTSD?
Unlike formally recognized PTSD diagnoses, C-PTSD doesn't stem from a singular event, but is instead the result of sustained abuse and powerlessness, from which the victim has little hope of escape.
"C-PTSD occurs when the hyper-vigilance of PTSD is accompanied by a breakdown in the ability to self-regulate," said Julian Ford, a psychology and law professor who heads the Center for Trauma Recovery at the University of Connecticut. "Intense emotions or emotional deadness will overwhelm the person's ability to cope. Mentally, they will suffer lapses in consciousness or in problem solving or judgment. And interpersonally, they will have extreme conflict in or withdraw from relationships."
The distinction between PTSD and C-PTSD was first introduced by Harvard Medical School professor Judith Herman in her 1992 book Trauma & Recovery. Her research found that the effects of chronic neglect, stress, and subjugation were creating an entire class of people—including survivors of sexual abuse and domestic abuse; persecuted racial, religious, and ethnic groups; and former hostages—whose trauma didn't fit the profile for PTSD diagnoses because it had been sustained over time.
PTSD manifests as a range of things, including depression, disassociation ('spacing out') depersonalisation (feeling like you don't exist, you're not real), panic attacks, social anxiety, anxiety generally, and a whole bunch of other things that DEFINITELY happen when you spend any amount of time around emotionally abusive people.
The following infographic hopefully sums it up a little more clearly:
But the short answer is absolutely, positively yes.
9/25/2016 01:34:20 am
This is very, very appreciated, Rivka.
Leave a Reply.
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My garage door was hit by a car, not hard just enough not mess up one side. It is not lined up at the bottom like it should be. And the cable came lose. Can this be fixed?
It would be helpful to post pictures inside and out , and to know what the door is made of.
i am not able to post pictures it is just a regular white door.made of aluminum i think
If it is aluminum and the panel is bent it would probably be easier to replace the panel.
Have you checked the track to make sure it has not been knocked out of place?
If the panel is not bent it could be that one of the roller holders bent or was knocked loose.
Not sure an if you can post a pic or two it would help. You will probably need to release all of the tension on the overhead spring to re-wrap the cable.
Be very careful. If you are not that spring can bust loose and do much damage.
(Considers former employee still in rehab.)
from looking at it it looks as though you could just knock it back in place the track and rollers are still in place. but you can tell it was hit.
gailkesley wrote:
from looking at it it looks as though you could just knock it back in place the track and rollers are still in place. but you can tell it was hit.
Well then, all is fixed. And it was that easy.
If the panel is not creased it is most likely a problem with the roller shaft or mounting hardware.
Does your cable set up look like this ?
If it does and the cable is broken you will probably need to replace the cable. It is easiest to lift the door to reinstall the cable. The cables on the two sides need to be the same length.
The shaft on the roller may be bent and need to be replaced. If it does be sure to put the new roller in the same tube that old one is in because some units have 2 tubes.
If you have the type that the cable wraps around a cylinder it is best to get someone who knows what they are doing to replace the cable and set the tension.


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Senate leaders scheduled a Wednesday vote on a $700 billion financial bailout package after accepting tax breaks and a higher limit for insured bank deposits in a bid to win House approval and send legislation to President Bush by the end of the week.
Top lawmakers said the Senate proposal, worked out after a day of behind the scenes maneuvering, would include tax breaks for businesses and alternative energy and higher government insurance for bank deposits.
"It has been determined, in our judgment, this is the best thing to move forward," said Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada and the majority leader, in announcing the surprise move.
The senators issued no details of their proposal and said none would be available until Wednesday. The lawmakers were gambling that the tax package would appeal to lawmakers who helped sink the measure in the House on Monday, without driving off Democrats who have opposed extending the tax incentives without offsetting spending cuts elsewhere.


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David Axelrod Isn't a Parrot
So why would he talk like one?
On Fox News Sunday this week, Obama Senior Advisor David Axelrod spoke with Chris Wallace about nuclear non‐proliferation, saying, among other things:
[President Obama] wants in the next four years to lock up the loose nuclear weapons that are scattered around Eastern Europe, that could fall into the hands of terrorists. And, of course, that is the big threat. That's why we have to step up the pace. This represents an existential threat and we need to meet it.
Controlling any loose nukes is important, but the chance of them being used by terrorists is exceedingly small, and it is not an existential threat.
For too long, U.S. national leaders have perpetrated the error of speaking about terrorist threats as "existential" when they are not. Talking this way needlessly riles the U.S. public and thrills would‐be or wannabe terrorists the world over. When U.S. leaders donate awesomeness to terrorism, the disenfranchised simply have to join a terror group or make empty threats to impact our discourse, policy, and quality of life.
David Axelrod didn't need the makeweight argument of terrorist access to justify controlling loose nukes.
(Axelrod's error was made on the road, from a different time zone. To damn him with faint praise, he comes up looking pretty good compared to Newt Gingrich, who issued spectacularly inconsistent positions from the comfort of the Fox News studio: Gingrich first criticized the Obama Administration for avoiding "war on terror" rhetoric, then sought small‐government credibility by criticizing Obama's budget as the largest non‐wartime increase in history. There is no such thing as a limited‐government war‐monger, and Gingrich should not modulate between treating the country as "at war" or "not at war" within a single television appearance.)


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Our society will be experiencing a paradigm shift in how energy and water resources for energy are managed. This context creates new research opportunities in hydraulic infrastructures and water systems. EPFL's School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) is seeking out talented people who will be able to provide innovative solutions in this field and work at the interface between hydraulics, energy, water economy, climate change, material engineering, and system optimization. In this context, we invite applications for a Faculty position at the Assistant Tenure Track level (in exceptional cases, appointment at the Associate or Full Professor level may be considered).
The successful candidate will have a proven capability to contribute significantly to teaching and scholarship in the broad field of hydraulic infrastructures and engineered water systems in relation to hydraulic energy harvesting.
The main topics of interest include:
Related topics, such as energy, hydropower, dams and reservoirs, flood protection, safety, or water supply, are also relevant.
EPFL hosts exceptional experimental and computational research facilities, including a fully equipped research laboratory in hydraulics and water infrastructure. Therefore, experts in experimental methods and physical models are encouraged to apply.
The successful candidate will have a deep fundamental research background including knowledge transfer in hydraulic infrastructures and water resources, and civil engineering in general.
As a faculty member of the Civil Engineering Section, he/she will excel in undergraduate and graduate teaching and supervise doctoral students.
With its main campus located in Lausanne and its developing antennae in neighbouring cantons in Switzerland, EPFL is a growing and well-funded institution fostering excellence and diversity. It is well equipped with experimental and computational infrastructure, and offers a fertile environment for research collaboration between different disciplines. The EPFL environment is multilingual and multicultural, with English serving as a common interface. EPFL offers internationally competitive start-up resources, salaries, and benefits as well as exceptional experimental and computational facilities. It is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty, and strongly encourages women to apply.
The following documents are requested in PDF format: cover letter including a statement of motivation, curriculum vitae including explicit mention of career breaks, publications list, concise statements of research and teaching interests (3-5 pages) as well as the names and addresses, including emails, of at least three references for junior positions or five references for senior positions (may be contacted at a later stage). Applications should be uploaded to the EPFL recruitment web site:
Formal evaluation of the applications will begin on March 31st, 2019 and the search will continue until the position is filled.
Further enquiries should be made to :
Professor Michel Bierlaire
Chair of the Search Committee
e-mail: [email protected]
For additional information on EPFL, please consult:
http://www.epfl.ch or http://enac.epfl.ch
EPFL is an equal opportunity employer and a family friendly university.


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Last week, I planned a ton of fun our Mitten Unit. And, of course...I got about half completed. My students loved the book and especially the retelling and Reader's Theatre. But I was also amazed at how well they did when learning dictionary skills.
First we looked through the book to find verbs that described how the animals moved.
Then we chose a few verbs to look up in a beginner's dictionary. We helped out 2nd grade by talking about guide words and wrote definitions. Then they used the word in a sentence. Because this was our first attempt, this was all guided by me, but my kids did all most of the work.
I'm excited tomorrow to hit inferencing and the standard on identifying phrases that suggest feelings. This book is great for those standards. If you need a cute book and some companion activities that are common core aligned, you can grab this unit on sale through tonight. It's a bit smaller than my other units and therefore cost less. If you bought it last night, I've made a few changes so download it one more time.
I'm hoping to have lots of pictures for you from this week. I'm excited for our Valentine Economics lessons and the rest of this little unit. And hopefully I'll have time for Cara's cute craft as well.


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New FireWall-1/VPN-1 features in Check Point NGX R65
Learn about the new firewall features included in Check Point's NGX R65.
By Ralph Bonnell
Service Provider Takeaway: Check Point introduces several new FireWall-1/VPN-1 Features. This section of the chapter excerpt from Check Point NGX R65 Security Administration will explain how to best utilize these features.
Downlaod the .pdf of the chapter here.
VPN technology has been an integral part of firewalls since the late 1990s. With the rise of the Internet in the early 1990s, most firms' first concerns were for a firewall that allowed them safe connectivity between their internal networks and the Internet. Once organizations began to use the Internet to connect separate offices, it became obvious that providing VPN functionality was a natural fit for firewall manufacturers. The fact that network address translator (NAT), IPSec, and antispoof checking have complex interactions has further driven the consolidation of these functionalities into a single perimeter device.
Although VPN technology was initially a separate add-on to FireWall-1, it soon became part of the standard package, and now, with version NGX, the firewall product itself has been renamed VPN-1 Pro, for reasons that aren't entirely obvious, given the large mindshare and recognition of the name FireWall-1. NGX offers several new updates and upgrades in VPN functionality.
SmartDefense Profiles
SmartDefense/Web Intelligence is Check Point's way of providing an intelligent defense against attacks directed at open ports as well as a defense against other, more sophisticated types of attacks. Though previous versions of FireWall-1/VPN-1 included early versions of SmartDefense/Web Intelligence, these defenses have been upgraded and improved in NGX.
Because your site may have separate networks that each need a special level of protection, SmartDefense Protection Profiles have been updated and you now can tailor the SmartDefense protection configuration using the precise defenses required for each gateway. You can view the SmartDefense Protection Profiles using SmartPortal.
AMT Support
The NGX R65 now supports Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) for Linux and SecurePlatform to isolate endpoint computers that violate the network security policy. In addition, AMT Quarantine installs a special security policy that restricts inbound and outbound traffic on suspect endpoint hosts that protects the larger network from malicious activity.
Aggressive Aging
Aggressive Aging helps to manage the connections table capacity and memory consumption of the firewall to increase durability and stability. This feature introduces a set of short timeouts called aggressive timeouts. When a connection is idle for more than its aggressive timeout it is marked as eligible for deletion. When the connections table or memory consumption reaches the set user-defined threshold (or high-water mark), Aggressive Aging begins to delete eligible for deletion connections, until memory consumption or connections capacity decreases back to the desired level.
Aggressive Aging allows the gateway machine to handle large amounts of unanticipated traffic such as during a denial of service (DoS) attack.
Cooperative Enforcement
Administrators can ensure that users traversing the firewall are protected by the Integrity endpoint shield. When configuring a Check Point gateway, the administrator identifies whether hosts accessing the network from the internal interface have to be authorized by the Integrity Server. A user not authorized by the Integrity Server receives notification (through the Hypertext Transfer Protocol [HTTP] or e-mail) to this effect.
An administrator can define several additional parameters, such as:
- Check authorization of all clients
- A white list of machines that do not have the Integrity Server installed but can still traverse the firewall
- Tracking options for authorized or unauthorized clients
- Activating cooperative enforcement in monitor-only mode
Monitor-Only Deployment Mode
In the monitor-only deployment mode, the firewall requests authorization statuses from the Integrity Server but, regardless of the received statuses, connections are not dropped. In addition (if configured by the administrator), the Cooperative Enforcement feature generates logs regardless of deployment mode.
Handling an Unauthorized Host
Unauthorized hosts can be added to the host's exception list, or the administrator can take appropriate action to make these hosts compliant.
Internal URL Web Filtering
In the NGX R65, VPN-1 gateways with content inspection capabilities are able to inspect and control HTTP traffic. The Web Filtering function screens incoming URL requests against a database to determine whether the URL request should be blocked or allowed. Web filtering takes place according to predefined categories made up of URLs. The Web filter checks the URL of a Web page against a list of approved sites.
In this way, complete sites or pages within sites that contain objectionable material (e.g., pornography, illegal software, or spyware) can be blocked.
Web (URL) filtering is based on the SurfControl engine which is now built into Check Point software. This provides for filtering rules based on the organization's needs, predefined categories made up of URLs and patterns of URLs, and a Web filtering database provided by Check Point.
Internal Antivirus Scanning
Since R61, antivirus scanning has been included in the NGX. Enabling antivirus scanning using the CA eSafe engine will allow you to scan an assortment of network protocols, trap them in the kernel, and forward them to the security server, which then transmits the captured files or data to the antivirus engine. The antivirus engine will allow or block data, depending on the reply from the antivirus engine. Antivirus scanning will apply to all traffic that has been permitted using the Security Policy.
SmartView Monitor can now provide statuses and counters for gateways with antivirus and Web filtering. The statuses are divided into the following two categories:
- Current status
- Update status (such as when the signature update was last verified)
Antivirus statuses are associated with signature checks and Web filtering statuses are associated with URLs and categories. SmartView Monitor can also run antivirus and Web filtering counters. For instance, the following reports are available:
- Top five attacks in the past hour
- Top 10 attacks since the last reset
- Top 10 HTTP attacks in the past hour
- General information regarding HTTP attacks
Signature Updates
You can schedule virus signatures to automatically update at any preferred period, or you can start manual updates of virus signatures at any time. Check Point provides antivirus and Web filtering updates. Check Point User Center credentials are necessary for the updates.
Continuous Download
The antivirus engine acts as a proxy, and will cache the scanned file prior to sending it to the client. Continuous Download will trickle data while the antivirus scan is taking place. If a virus is found during the scan, the file transfer is concluded. File types for which Continuous Download will not be used are configurable.
Scanning Files
You can scan files "by direction" or by IP address. In either instance, antivirus scanning will be performed only against traffic that has been permitted through the security rulebase.
Layer 2 Firewalling
Layer 2 firewall deployment enables a VPN-1 gateway to be inserted into an internal network without affecting the existing IP address routing scheme. Traffic authorized by the firewall is passed between bridged interfaces, which forward the traffic over Layer 2. This feature is supported only on stand-alone gateways.
VoIP Features
New Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) features to enhance Voice over IP (VoIP) include:
- Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) NAT support
- MGCP on dynamic ports
- SIP NAT support in a Back-to-Back User Agent (B2BUA) configuration
- Static NAT for SIP proxies in the internal network
- Extended SIP state machines
- Blocked/allowed SIP commands
- Interoperability with Nortel, Broadsoft, Cisco, NEC, Polycom, Sylantro, Avaya, and others
SYN Cookies
A SYN-cookies mode has been added to SYNDefender to prevent a DoS SYN flood attack. In a SYN flood, external hosts overwhelm a server machine by sending a constant stream of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection requests. The server machine continues to allocate resources until all its resources are exhausted.With SYN cookies, the server machine does not allocate resources until the server's
SYN/ACK packets receive an ACK in return, meaning that the original request for a connection was legitimate. Using SYN cookies, the TCP three-way handshake is performed without saving state information. The connection is not registered in the connection table until the connection proves itself legitimate.
For a host, not saving any state information on an incoming SYN means the server is no longer vulnerable to backlog DoS SYN flood attacks. For a gateway, this means that processing time spent on spoofed SYN packets is reduced, and memory consumption is eliminated.
SYNDefender now has two active modes: relay mode and SYN cookie mode.
In relay mode, when a SYN arrives, the connection table registers the connection in the usual way. In cookie mode, the firewall is not informed of the handshake with the external host or client until the client has shown itself to be legitimate. The SYN packet from the client is dropped and a SYN-ACK with a cookie set is sent directly to the client interface.
After receiving the ACK from the client, which completes the client handshake, SYNDefender transforms the ACK into a SYN and registers it in the connection table. Processing the connection then proceeds in the same way as relay mode.
NGX R65 Operational Changes
New Smart Portal Features
New FireWall-1/VPN-1 Features
Edge Support for CLM
Integrity Advanced Server
Check Point NGX R65 FAQs
Reprinted from Chapter one of Check Point NGX R65 Security Administration by Ralph Bonnell. Printed with permission from Syngress, a division of Elsevier. Copyright 2007. For more information about this title, please visit www.syngress.com.