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We Chat With: Pat Bertoletti of Glutton Force Five, Chicago's Most Gluttonous Food Truck
Interviews with local chefs and restauranteurs.
If you ask Pat Bertoletti, co-owner of Chicago's newest food truck, Glutton Force Five, what is the worst thing he has ever eaten, he won't roll his eyes and get all wind-bagged about some dry meatball sandwich he once had on Clark St. He'll probably get a little pale in the face and tell you about a disgusting bird's nest soup he once had to eat in Thailand—with a thousand-year egg in it, a raw cured egg that spends a month buried under ashes until it hardens to a translucent black-green. "I literally almost puked when I put the eggs in my mouth and [in the past] I've put nearly four pounds of bull balls in my system in 10 minutes, so that's saying something. Fermented shark from Iceland was pretty rough, too."
When it comes to eating—and I mean, seriously eating—Pat Bertoletti has been around the block a few times. In 10 minutes, the time it takes a normal person to eat an ice cream cone, he can eat more than 10 pounds of corned beef. In eight minutes, he can consume almost exactly four pounds of chicken wings, 15 pounds of strawberry shortcake, 34-dozen Acme oysters, nine pounds of blueberry pie, a whole turkey and 275 pickled jalapeños. This is only a partial list. Bertoletti is currently ranked second by the International Federation of Competitive Eating.
When it comes to pursuing his kind of lifestyle, Bertoletti, says there are only two qualities you need: poor genetics and faulty brain wiring. "I will try anything in a contest at least once. I have struggled with the texture of raw oysters in the past, and Rocky Mountain Oysters were quite chewy and nauseating; and I hold the record for whole pickled jalapeños, but find them kind of gross to eat normally."
Last November, Bertoletti, along with his friend and fellow competitive eater, Tim "Gravy" Brown, set upon a new food challenge, and probably the hardest challenge of all. They accepted the challenge of owning a food truck in Chicago.
The two friends, who met five years ago on the competitive eating circuit, decided to open Glutton Force Five, a self-proclaimed, "A-Team meets drunken delights on wheels." The idea came to Tim after he got drunk on a flight. Armed with Sir Snugglesworth (a large bulldog and official taste-tester), the Party Bot and a Unicorn (whose name is open for sponsorship), Glutton Force Five is bringing their competitive eating world to the streets of Chicago, including an on-board $500 eating challenge.
Last week, I spoke to Bertoletti about what it takes not only to be a world-renowned competitive eater, but also a food truck owner in Chicago.
Tell us about the food we can expect to see on Glutton Force Five. At Rib Fest, we paid homage to the King and barbecue lovers everywhere with Elvis Bread Pudding (peanut butter toffee bread pudding topped with bacon fat, bacon cream cheese frosting). I can't eat peanut butter, bread, and bananas after winning the annual peanut butter and banana-eating contest (31 in 10 minutes). We also premiered a Ultra BBQ Bowl (spicy BBQ braised pork butt topped with BBQ potato chip flavored mashed potatoes and corn nuts). Generally speaking we are not food snobs, we love greasy, shitty hangover food. We put our spin on the classics with a little bit of our twisted imaginations. We love simple food done right and aim to follow that.
Some of the menu items appear to be named after people. For instance, tell us about the namesakes of The Big Jim and The Alberto. One of the benefits of competitive eating is that we are sent to all corners of the earth. We've picked up a lot of undiscovered flavors and dishes and brought them back. The Big Jim is our take on the walking taco: [It's] essentially Fritos topped with chorizo gravy, crema, and green onions. It's the essential white trash treat and we're not ashamed of it. After sampling a sub par version in Buffalo with our friend and fellow gurgitator Jim Reeve, we realized that no one does them, let alone a really good version of it. The Alberto was inspired by a Piña Colada and rum-fueled trek to Puerto Rico where we sampled a traditional sandwich garnished with potato straws. [For this dish], we pay homage to the dog that followed us through the rain forest, Alberto.
It only seems fitting that a food truck helmed by competitive eaters would offer up their own eating contest. What is "The Challenge"? Anyone from the public can challenge either Tim or myself to a showdown with anything off of our menu. If they win, we pay 500 bucks.
What is your favorite restaurant in Chicago? Hot Dougs. I've been there 20+ times and I am never disappointed. Also, The Publican, Paul Kahan is a fucking genius. I went with my friend and we ordered almost everything on the right side of the menu.
Most challenging thing about licensing and regulating a food truck in Chicago? The City of Chicago is the laughing stock of the food world. They are really restrictive with food trucks. They make it nearly impossible to get the necessary licenses. We had to rethink our entire menu because of regulations.
Having started the process last year, and going through quite a bit, do you think anything will change anytime soon? I think the next thing they will allow is assembling. When that happens, we will expand our menu. Strictly speaking, the amount of food you can do staying legal under Chicago's restrictions is pretty limited.
How does not being able to cook on board affect your menu? Not being able to cook isn't really an issue for us. The only thing I would ever consider adding is a deep fryer—you can have a lot of fun with a deep fryer. Our plan was based on cooking everything ahead and just assembling to order.
Do you have advice for anyone thinking of owning a food truck? Do a bunch of research. Make sure you are familiar with all of the local laws and rules pertaining to food trucks. We bought a bunch of equipment that we later found out would not be allowed on the truck.
You can only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pizza!
Glutton Force Five
The best way to find Glutton Force Five is to follow them on Twitter and Facebook or to check out the website.
Twitter: @gluttonforce5
Facebook: Glutton-Force-Five/Facebook
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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The Real Housewives of New York City
This season, after the tragic death of her boyfriend Dennis, Bethenny struggles with conflicting emotions while unexpectedly meeting someone new. Fresh off her second stint in rehab after last year's relapse, Luann is committed to her new love: cabaret! But will she ever get back on track with Dorinda after being heckled at her debut? Meanwhile, Sonja is embracing her future by finally moving out of her beloved townhouse for a fresh perspective on the city she calls home. Looking for a fresh start, Dorinda moves into an apartment in midtown. But not all change is good, as she is forced to evaluate her friendship with Luann. Always the hopeless romantic, Tinsley is ready for the next step with Scott, but he may not be on the same page. Also on the love train, Ramona continues her search for Mr. Right, even when old flames threaten to throw her off course. And Barbara Kavovit, a good friend of Luann's who stood by the former countess after her relapse, should fit right in as she is not afraid to speak her mind. Barbara is a successful businesswoman running her own construction company.
More gifts from The Real Housewives of New York City
Visit Bravotv.com for more information about The Real Housewives of New York City

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12:00 am
Friday Night Fights
Evansville Esports, Evansville IN
04/19/2019 - 04/20/2019
7:30 pm - 10:30 pm
University of Evansville Theatre presents: Twelfth Night
University of Evansville- Shanklin Theatre, Evansville IN
Thank you for visiting Evansville Events Calendar!
Evansville Events calendar with things to do, festivals, concerts, shows, causes, family, arts, meetings, networking, and sporting events in Evansville Indiana. Managed and maintained by Greater Evansville Media LLC, we strive to increase the awareness of, participation in, and support for local community, entertainment, music and arts in the Greater Evansville area. This site is available for posting by any local promoter, business venue, non-profit, community organizer, or any other organization hosting local public events.
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Our primary purpose is to promote local community by bringing together Evansville area residents and business. By operating on a self-post platform, we are able to offer this FREE service to any local establishment, organization or community, providing them the opportunity to tell area residents about their location and events in a significant and meaningful way. While other area websites list events, we are opening the door to more categories, listings and in greater detail.
Do you have any feedback, suggestions or ideas? click here


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Without a monitor connected (via Thunderbolt/mDP) to my iMac (2011, 3.4 GHz, 6970M 2GB), iStat Menus reports the GPU is using ~15 watts, and has a temperature of 60c. With one connected, it uses ~35 watts, and is ~80c. Both of these are when idling.
Regardless of it pushing an extra 1920x1200 monitor, 80c seems very excessive. I use my computer near enough everyday for up to 10 hours, and I'm worried about the long-term stress due to such a high temperature.
Is it normal, and if so, safe long-term?
(SMC reset, fans working correctly, no dust in air ducts, etc.)


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Wealthy investors say keeping physically fit is as important to them as staying fiscally fit, but their actions belie their words, according to a new study.
Spectrem's Millionaire Corner surveyed investors with a net worth between $5 million and $25 million (not including primary residence) for a first-quarter wealth level study.
Respondents expressed more concern about the health of their spouse (63%) and their own health (56%) than about securing their descendants' financial situation (57%) and maintaining their own current financial situation (55%).
High-net-worth respondents, on average, were older than their less wealthy counterparts, so it was not surprising that health issues would be of elevated concern, the report said.
Thirty percent of high-net-worth investors reported that they had worked in the past five years to cut out counterproductive habits such as smoking, overeating, drinking and caffeine intake. This compared with less than 25% of younger millionaires and mass affluent investors, who may have already adapted a healthier lifestyle.
But the study suggested that if these high-net-worth investors were indeed working to improve their health habits, it was only part time at best.
Just 11% said they were monitoring their weight more than they had five years ago, while only 7% said they were eating healthier foods. Fifteen percent were seeing their doctor more often.
Age was a factor in adopting a healthy lifestyle, and younger high-net-worth investors were taking the lead, according to the survey.
Twenty-two percent of those younger than 46 said they were seeing a doctor more often than they had five years ago. Similarly, 17% of the youngest respondents were monitoring and trying to control their weight.
Although only 9% said they were exercising more, this was probably a reflection of an established fitness regimen, according to the study. In contract, some 66% of boomers 47 to 64 and 30% of seniors ages 65 and up said they had tried to quit smoking, overeating, drinking and other bad health habits.
The report said it paid—or, better, saved—to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Citing the 2012 Health Confidence Survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, it noted that health care accounted for 18% of expenses for people 85 and older, 15% for people 75 to 84 and 12% for people 65 to 74.
Read New Spectrem Service Connects Investors and Financial Advisors on AdvisorOne.


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Last Updated: 22 hours ago
5211 Village Park 78124 take exit 180 Schwab Rd, San Antonio TX 78223
From $354,900 Why 'From' pricing?
New homes can be personalized to your needs and taste.
Builders pricing can vary greatly. Builders display base pricing because you have not selected your options and upgrades yet and some homes may indicate that the land cost is not included.
Elevation A 1/7Previous Next
Meridian II (2799) (2799 sq. ft.) is a home with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 3-car garage.
Active Adult Community Sales Office
5211 Village Park 78124 take exit 180 Schwab Rd, San Antonio, TX 78223
Sales Agent: Gabe Hernandez amp; Jennifer Schmidt
Hours: Monday 12pm to 6pm Tuesday thru Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM Sunday 12 PM to 6 PM
Please be aware that current conditions may impact hours of operation.
The Parklands
The ParklandsVisit the website Free brochure
Actual schools may vary. Contact the builder for more information.
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Scrambles Updates
Matt Gunn's Trip Reports
Scrambles Accident Reports
|Scrambles Guidebook Index
Download an Excel spreadsheet with a bunch of details on every route in the scrambles guidebook. Thanks a bunch to Brad Vaillancourt for putting it together.
Scrambling Guidebook Feedback
|Scrambles in SWBC Google Earth File
This .kmz file indicates summits and trailheads. Thanks to Adrien for putting it together.
Click here for details.
Now Available:
Scrambles in Southwest British Columbia
This site is intended to act as a source of continual updates for "Scrambles in Southwest British Columbia" by Matt Gunn. New information on road changes, corrections and new route descriptions will be posted here. If you discover any inaccuracies in the guidebook, please alert the author though the "Contact Cairn" link at the bottom of the page.


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Many Californians don't know the history, but California was once a big oil state -- producing as much as a quarter of the world's supply in the early 20th century.
The oil industry was so crucial to the early growth of California that this remains the only oil-producing state without a severance tax--a tax on pulling oil out of the ground.
Yes, that's right -- supposedly high-tax Caiifornia refuses to tax what supposed tax-phobic Texas and Alaska tax.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Democrats have long wanted to change that.
The latest attempt comes from the state Democratic party chairman, John Burton, who recently filed an initiative for just such a tax. (Burton explained why to KQED's John Myers here).
The policy arguments for such a move are strong.
Oil in the ground is a public resource, and the public should share in the profits from selling it. Since other states have the tax, California would not be at a competitive disdvantage by establishing such a tax. And state programs -- particularly the state university systems -- could use the money.
But such proposals have died -- in the face of a state governing system that makes raising taxes hard and an oil industry that opposes such changes.
It seems likely that this proposal may die again, in part because of its timing. Burton filed a tax-raising initiative at a time when there are more than a half-dozen tax-hike initiatives are in various stages of the qualification process.
Those initiatives could bleed money and political support from an oil tax. Worry is widespread that if multiple tax measures qualify for the ballot, they could all go down, as voters recoil from being asked to raise taxes multiple times.
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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September 19, 2013
Sealed proposals will be received by the Purchasing Board of the City of New Brunswick, NJ at City Hall, 78 Bayard Street, New Brunswick, NJ. The bids will be publicly opened and read in the Council Chambers on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 10:00 a.m., prevailing time for2013 Furnish and Delivery of Regulatory Signs, Phase 2, Specification No. 836-13R, for the City of New Brunswick.
The work will be in accordance with the specifications prepared by Thomas S. Guldin, P.E., City Engineer and adopted by the City Council of the City of New Brunswick, NJ which specifications are now on file in the City Engineer's Office, 25 Kirkpatrick Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 where they may be seen or procured by bidders.
Each bidder is required to bid on only a fixed price, which will be maintained throughout the contract.
Each bid shall be accompanied by a certified check, cashiers check or bid bond payable to the City Treasurer of the City of New Brunswick, as a guarantee that if the contract is awarded to him he will enter into a contract therefore. The amount so deposited shall be ten percent (10%) of the bid, but in no case in excess of $20,000.00.
N.J.S.A. 40A11-14, provides that the Governing Body of any municipality may provide the form and manner of approval of all guarantee, indemnity, fidelity or other bonds required.
Bidders must comply with P.L.1963 Chapter 150 (Prevailing Wage), P.L.1975 Chapter 127, N.J.A.C. 17:27, N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq., P.L. 1977 Chapter 33 and with P.L. 1999 Chapter 238. In addition, all bidders must comply with the Public Works Contractor Registration Act – N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.48 et seq. Bidder must furnish a copy of their State of New Jersey Business Registration Certificate prior to award of contract in order for the contract to be awarded. Persons awarded a contract under these procedures are required to comply with the requirements for Business Entity Disclosure Certification, Equal Employment Opportunity Laws and Regulations, Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, P.L. 2004, C19, The New Jersey Local Unit Pay-to-Play Law (N.J.S.A. 19:44-A-20.4 et seq.), New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditure Reporting Act (N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq.) and the Disclosures of Investments Activity in Iran. According to 40A:11-23, the City is prohibited from receiving bids on Mondays or any day directly following a State or Federal Holiday.
The City Council of the City of New Brunswick reserves the right to reject any and all bids if in its opinion it is in the best interest so to do.
City Clerk
78 Bayard Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08903
MARKED: 2013 Furnish & Delivery of Regulatory Signs Phase 2
Specification No. 836-13R
Due: October 9, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.


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Licensed by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance.
CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC is an FHA Approved Lending Institution and is not acting on behalf of or at the direction of HUD/FHA or the Federal government. All loans subject to underwriting approval. Certain restrictions apply. Call for details. *Certificate of Eligibility required.
NMLS3029 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). To view all corporate licensing, please visit


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A late own goal put Granada at further risk of relegation from La Liga and handed Real Madrid—already league champions—a 2-1 win that was followed by a series of red cards and an eventual riot police escort off the pitch for a referee that didn't grant Granada a late corner kick in added time.
It's not clear which Granada player chucked the nearly-full bottle of Gatorade (or some equivalent beverage) at the referee, but the ref took it clear in the face—after which authorities were called in to quell the melee. [GOLTV]


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Event box
PAS Physics Help - Cancelled - contact the department for alternatives
Need help with undergraduate courses in physics? Drop by the Physics Aid Service (PAS) for some support.
PAS offers a welcoming and supportive environment for students at any level of undergraduate physics.
Instructional support commonly addresses problems with conceptual understanding, difficulties encountered with homework assignments, preparation for mid-term and final exams, and occasionally even preparation for external exams such as the MCAT.
Depending on the number of students requiring help, instruction may be one-to-one or in small groups, with emphasis placed on engaged interaction between the students and the instructor.
PAS is held in Room 129 of the C.W. Lui Learning Commons in the McPherson Library.
Winter 2018/19 PAS in Room 129 will be:
Mornings: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:00 - 11:00am
Afternoons: Monday 1:30 - 3:30pm, Wednesday and Friday 1:00 - 3:00pm.
(Please note, these times are subject to change to accommodate special events in the library).
- Date:
- Friday, April 3, 2020
- Time:
- 1:00pm - 3:00pm
- Location:
- Room 129
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- McPherson Library
- Categories:
- For Students Learning Commons Mearns room 129 Physics Help
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The LAPD may have just created the creepiest of creepy Internet videos.
As part of its citizens-reporting-suspicious-behavior program iWatch, the LAPD released a video earlier this month that's been getting some less-than-favorable reviews these days.
As James Hibberd, of the Live Feed, puts it, "The ad features wide-eyed, blink-free residents reciting Orwellian mantras and looking as if they're about to crawl out of your television like that girl in 'The Ring.'"
U.S. & World
Tina Dupuy of FishbowlLA says, "We'll report something suspicious, we'll start with reporting iWatch."
Even across the pond, the video is taking a beating. According to one UK blog, "A bevy of faces line up to tell us why they watch other people and then report them. Not one of them says they watch other people because they are spiteful, bored, angry, depressed, sexually frustrated and don't much like humanity. Which is odd. These people need watching. They're not normal."
The program could obviously save lives and prevent a terror attack -- especially when partnered with LAPD's 300 officers dedicated to anti-terrorism. As Kevin Roderick of LA Observed points out, outgoing police chief William Bratton believes "a single terrorism incident would do more harm to the city's image and economy than 50 gang murders."
Absolutely true -- but do we really have to be so creepy with the promotional videos? This is LA. There are probably one or two writers, actors and directors that would be willing to cut out some of that creepiness.


text: Beginning of layer content. Photo gallery Click to zoom Close End of layer content. Super Skinny Jeans Colour: Selected colour: Colour Selected colour: Size: Size € 115,00 The estimated shipping date for this item is: . Your credit card will be charged when we ship your order. Sold out Please select size and colour Add to Shopping Bag Add to Wish List Size Guide Share on Twitter Facebook Pinterest Email Description & Details DenimFadedLogoColoured washFive pocketsButton, zipFringed hem Shipping & Returns Shipping Standard Shipping Delivery in 4-6 working days € 12,00 Remember that you can request a return or an exchange within 15 days from the date you received the package. For additional information, please consult the Return Policy or visit the Customer Care area. In line with recent government guidelines, and for the health of our community, we have taken the decision to temporarily close our warehouses and pause delivery and return services.We have decided to extend our return period to 60 days for all orders placed starting from 1 March, 2020, to ensure that you have enough time to decide whether to keep or return your items.Please consult the dedicated section for more information.


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Information Technology and Ethics/Who commits cyber crimes?
Cyber criminals and lawsEdit
There are criminals who commit cyber crimes for different reasons. Some of them steal from companies and private citizens for financial gain, while others steal secrets from not only companies, but governments and private citizens [sic]. Some of the perpetrators aim to disrupt the infrastructure of the government or company. The annual cost of computer crime in the US alone is $2 billion and rising. Hackers test the limits of information systems for the challenge of doing so. Some believe that hackers perform a service by exposing security risks. "Crackers" break into networks and systems to deface websites, crash computers and networks, spread harmful programs and/or hateful messages.
Malicious insiders are employees or officers of a business, institution, or agency that carry out activities intended to cause harm to the organization. Malicious insiders not always employees, they can be consultants and contractors. It is difficult to detect and/or stop malicious insiders. They are authorized to access the systems they abuse. Most systems are vulnerable to these malicious actors because they were designed to keep intruders out. Insiders know how the systems work and how to circumvent them. The organization may be able to take steps to reduce these attacks. Industrial spies steal trade secrets to gain competitive advantage. Hacktivists and cyber-terrorists attack systems in order to promote their ideologies and intimidate governments in order to achieve their goals.
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 included provisions for the Cyber Security Enhancement Act which demanded life sentences for hackers that recklessly endanger lives. It allows for net surveillance to gather personal and private data without a court order. ISPs can turnover users' records to law enforcement. The computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1984, 1987 and 1994 carries penalties that include fines and/or imprisonment, when you cover acts of fraudulent trespass, intentional destructive trespass, and reckless destructive trespass.
Cyber crime and the Healthcare systemEdit
In today's "high-tech" world, both wireless and software-controlled technologies are commonplace throughout the medical world. From the bustling cities of Washington D.C. and Chicago, Illinois to the various small town "one-stoplight" places around this country, the advancement in medical technology has in some way shape or fashion affected all of us in many different ways. Even the normal "checkup" visit to the doctor brings us face-to-face with some form of software-controlled devices such as "surgical and anesthesia devices, ventilators, drug infusion pumps, patient monitors and external defibrillators" [1]. Most devices used in hospitals today are controlled via software and are either connected to the Internet via a hospital Intranet or have the capability to be connected via wireless technology.
And that is where one of the many problems arises——on the Internet. Most, if not everything, can be found, viewed, used, and exploited as long as it is connected to the Internet. Yes, even "high-tech" medical equipment. As long as there is something of value out there in cyberspace, there will always be someone who tries to "hack" it, manipulate it or take it. Whether that is for the good of mankind or the selfishness of one, people will always try to use the internet to their advantage. Coincidentally, there are even people at in society who will try and harm others via cyberspace. Either physically or digitally or in any combination of the two, there are people in today's world who want to do others harm for whatever reasoning that they can create or even feel the need to follow.
The healthcare industry is no stranger to cyber-crime. For the last ten years or so, most cyber-crimes against the healthcare system were for monetary reasons whether that be through extortion or by stealing someone's identity.
Hackers broke into a small medical practice's server, encrypted patients' electronic medical records (EMRs) and emails, and demanded a ransom. Instead of paying the ransom, the Surgeons of Lake County turned the server off and called police. It is not known whether the hackers who targeted the Surgeons of Lake County also extorted other businesses--but federal-mandated HIPAA records indicate 37 hospitals and doctors' offices nationwide have been hacked since 2009, resulting in the theft or damage of patients' medical records. The HIPAA records do not count hacks in which less than 500 patients' information was stolen or damaged, or cases in which only credit card or checking account information was stolen. In addition, they only count voluntary disclosures of successful hacking attacks. [2]
Healthcare theft is a growing criminal field, often tied to organized crime, in which uninsured patients use a stolen identity belong to another person for healthcare reasons. These include forged prescriptions for drugs, inpatient or outpatient care, or fraudulent healthcare lawsuits. The criminal gets the medical care; some innocent party and their insurance company receive the bill. At the very least, the victim has to deal with time-consuming piles of paperwork to resolve the problem. More often, credit records and access to healthcare are effectively ruined. [2]
Within the last few years there have been numerous security studies, conferences and demonstrations on the topic of cybersecurity vulnerabilities relating to "internet-connected implanted medical devices" [3], "hard-coded password vulnerabilities" [4] or "by the introduction of malware into the medical equipment or unauthorized access to configuration settings in medical devices and hospital networks." [5]
Implanted devices have been around for decades, but only in the last few years have these devices become virtually accessible. While they allow for doctors to collect valuable data, many of these devices were distributed without any type of encryption or defensive mechanisms in place. Unlike a regular electronic device that can be loaded with new firmware, medical devices are embedded inside the body and require surgery for "full" updates. One of the greatest constraints to adding additional security features is the very limited amount of battery power available.[3]
In hospitals around the country there has been a dangerous rise of malware infections in computerized equipment. Many of these systems are running very old versions of Windows that are susceptible to viruses from years ago. Some manufacturers will not allow their equipment to be modified, even with security updates, partially due to regulatory restrictions.[3]
On June 13, 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) working closely with the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) sent out guidance [5][4] to health care facilities and medical device manufacturers addressing these critical security issues. But the real question is: what if someone actually dies from a medical cyber-attack? Who should be held accountable? The manufacturers? The health care facilities? Many believe that not only are the "hackers" accountable, but so are the companies who manufacture the medical devices——sometimes with malware already installed on them——and the health care facilities who have had lackadaisical security practices for their critical healthcare systems.
- ↑ Pierson, R. and Finkle, J. (2013, June 13). "FDA urges protection of medical devices from cyber threats." Reuters. Retrieved June 18, 2013 from http:// www.reuters.com
- ↑ a b Ungerleider, N. (2012, August 15). "Medical Cybercrime: The Next Frontier." FastCompany. Retrieved June 18, 2013 from http://www.fastcompany.com
- ↑ a b c Wadhwa, T. (2012, December 06). "Yes, You Can Hack A Pacemaker (And Other Medical Devices Too)." Forbes. Retrieved June 18, 2013 from http://www.forbes.com
- ↑ a b Alert (ICS-ALERT-13-164-01): Medical Devices Hard-Coded Passwords. (2013, June 13). In Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team. Retrieved June 18, 2013 from https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov
- ↑ a b FDA Safety Communication: Cybersecurity for Medical Devices and Hospital Networks. (2013, June 13). In U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved June 18, 2013 from http://www.fda.gov


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T-SQL Tuesday #51 – Place Your Bets
February 11, 2014 3 Comments
T-SQL Tuesday is a recurring blog party, that is started by Adam Machanic (Blog | @AdamMachanic). Each month a blog will host the party, and everyone that want's to can write a blog about a specific subject.
This month the subject is "Place Your Bets". If you want to read the opening post, please click the image below to go to the party-starter: Jason Brimhall (Blog | @sqlrnnr).
When I read about this months T-SQL Tuesday topic, the first thing that came to mind was things that you know will go wrong sooner or later. When you encounter a situation like this, you immediately know this can't last forever. You want to fix it when you see it, but there's no money, or there's no time at that moment. But they promise you, in a few weeks you can take all the time you need. Well, that'll never happen. Until things go wrong, and you can clean up the mess. Sounds familiar? Yes, we've all seen this, or will see this sooner or later.
With power comes great responsibility
Just imagine this with me. One of your colleagues asks you to look at a problem he's having with a script someone in your company wrote. You probably solved it while he was standing right next to you. He watches you solve the problem, and when it's solved, he walks away with a thousand-yard stare in his eyes. You don't really think about it when it happens, but it'll come to you…
A few weeks later, it's 10 AM and you're still having your first coffee of the day, the same developer asks you to look at "his script". Wait, what?! Yes, he watched you work your magic, and that funny language of "Es-Que-El" seemed easy to learn. So he bought himself a "SQL Server for dummies", learned all he needs to know in only a weekend, and wonders why it took you so long to learn it. From now on, he can write his own scripts, so he doesn't need you anymore. Except for this last time.
Opening the script scares you: it's a cursor. But in your frustration and amazement you "fix" the broken script, by refactoring his select statement in the cursor. Because the cursor only collects data, you add a "TOP 10" clause in the select statement, and run the script as test. Nice, it finishes is 25 seconds. "It will only consume 500 rows" is the last thing you heard him say. You send the guy off, so you can continue your own work.
Later in the day, it's about 4 PM, you meet the same guy at the coffee machine. He starts a discussion about how he needs a new PC, because the script YOU wrote is slow (see where this is going…?). It's running for about 4 hours now, while it should only collect about 500 records. I know what you think: that's impossible. You walk with him to his desk, stop the script, and look at his code. That isn't the query you looked at this morning. Asking your colleague about it explains it all: he "slightly refactored" the script, because he didn't need al those weird statements to get him his results. Well, after a fiery discussion of a few minutes, you explain him the DOES need the "FETCH NEXT" in the query, because the query now ran the same statement for only the first record in the select statement you declared for your cursor.
So this funny "Es-Que-El" language, isn't that easy to learn. A beautiful quote about that, and I'm not sure who said that, says: "T-SQL is easy to learn, but hard to master". So putting your money on one horse, in this case buying yourself a book, isn't a good idea.
Putting your money on one color
Another great example is a company that had a wonderful Business Intelligence environment. They used the whole nine yards: SQL Server, SSIS, SSAS, SSRS, etc. The downside of that you ask? It was all hosted on 1 physical machine, on a single SQL Server instance. Oh, and it was running low on disk space, and there was no room in the chassis to put in extra disks. That's right: it was like juggling burning chainsaws with only one hand. Or an interesting challenge, if you will.
Eventually we hosted a few databases on NAS volumes. At that point, I was told the databases we moved were less important. Pro tip: never EVER trust them when they say that!!! They forgot to tell me the biggest database of the moved databases wasn't in the backup plan (500 GB database takes a long time to backup), and the last backup was made over a year ago. Surprise, one night the network card failed for maybe only a microsecond, and SQL Server thought the LUN was offline or the disk crashed. So SQL Server said that the database was corrupt, and that the datafiles were unavailable. After a few hours, a reboot of the server fixed it, and SQL Server could see the disk volumes again. So the database was saved after all.
But you see where I'm going with this? You never know when things go wrong, and putting all your money on one color when playing roulette isn't the best idea. If the hardware of your single server fails, you fail.
Next, Next, Finish?
But the biggest example I can give you of a bad placed bet, are companies that work with SQL Server, but don't hire a DBA. Have you ever worked for a company that work with Oracle? Every single company that works with Oracle, has a dedicated Oracle DBA. But have you ever wondered why that isn't the case when a company works with SQL Server?
Thinking about it, I guess this is because a successful SQL Server installation is only a few "Next, Next, Finish"-mouse clicks away. So if the installation is so easy, every developer or person with IT experience can administer it probably. They couldn't be more wrong. You know that, I know that, every SQL Server professional knows that, but try to convince other people of that fact.
So the worst bet you can place, and this is how I write myself back to the subject of this month, is not hiring a professional to manage your data and data stores. You wouldn't let your local baker fix your car, because the wrote some books about cars, right? So why do you let a developer with basic knowledge near your SQL Server? Just because real DBA's cost money? Yes, we do cost some serious money. But in the end, at least when you hire a GOOD DBA, they will make you money. You don't think so? What does a DBA cost per hour? And how much money do you lose when your servers are down for just an hour?


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StrengthCoach necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 38 diseños de 11 diseñadores freelance.
An online resource for hockey strength and conditioning professionals. This is from high level strength coaches that are the best in the business speaking to elite coaches who are at the top of their profession looking for continuing education. The website will be "The Only Hockey Training Resource You Will Ever Need" and will be "The Greatest Collection of Hockey Strength and Conditioning Coaches on the Planet"
Mostly male strength coaches and hockey coaches, Educated, intelligent, at the top of their field, hardworking, lots of hours worked, not very tech savvy, on the go.
Something dynamic, with some movement that "pops". Colors can include- Red, Blue and Black. A "strong" font, something like Impact.
Something that relates to strength but no "arm curl" type logos. This is not a bodybuilding site for meatheads.
The logo will be for the top of the home page. I attached a jpg of what it looks like now that we are changing.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Elders Advisory Council
The Elders Advisory Council is responsible to advise the Dean's Office in cases, in which the Faculty Council cannot be consulted, and to mediate in cases of conflict. During the lecture-free period, the Elders Advisory Council particularly advises the Dean's Office on initiating the doctoral process.
The Elders Advisory Council consists of members from the Dean's Office, who have no voting rights, and a member from each of the groups represented in the Faculty Council.
Members of the Elders Advisory Council
|Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Markus Oeser (Chair)
|Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Josef Hegger (1st deputy Chair)
|Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Sven Klinkel (2nd deputy Chair)
|Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Ziegler (Member)
|Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Pinnekamp (deputy Member)
|apl. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Benno Hoffmeister (deputy Member)
Academic Staff
|Dr.-Ing. Regina Haußmann (Member)
|Dipl.-Ing. Martin Feinendegen (deputy Member)
|Dr.-Ing. Norbert Will (deputy Member)
Non-Academic Staff
|Dipl.-Ing. Marius Jünemann (Member)
|Rainer Jandeleit (deputy Member)
|Nora Lerche (Member)
|Lotta Eicke (deputy Member)
|Johanna Golissa (deputy Member)
Equal Opportunities Officers
|Univ.-Prof. Karen Veroy-Grepl, Ph.D.
|Stephanie Vanderheijden, M.A.


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COVID-19 Update: We continue to ship out orders every business day while following CDC and local government guidelines. Our walk-in bookstore is closed. Contact us if you would like to arrange to pick up your order at our Harrisonburg, VA location.
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|Lunchtime Club runs from 12.20 until 12.55pm. It is open to anyone who finds social times difficult or who have medical needs where they need extra support. The broken bone brigade are also welcome.
The rule is that everyone must speak and act with respect to everyone else in the area. The room is a quiet area.
Sometimes a friend is off sick, or a pupil finds it difficult to make friends they come into the club where we make sure they are treated in a friendly way and introduced to other people.
Pupil's with communication difficulties such as those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder also have an area in the lunch club. The area is supervised by an adult at all times.
Homework Club
We will provide a pupil with an area to work and support if they need to complete homework.


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A lot of concepts and variety brands are developed together with our customers. Would you like to discuss the opportunities for your business? Do not hesitate to contact your HZPC salesmanager!


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Foxconn Technology Group is in the spotlight again. The giant Chinese contract electronics maker — the subject of playwright Mike Daisey's scathing one-man show "The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" — has reportedly resolved a labor dispute in which workers had climbed to top of the factory and threatened suicide.
The New York Times reports that the pay dispute was resolved peacefully, and no one was hurt. The workers were reportedly building Microsoft's popular Xbox 360 gaming console in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
Foxconn, which also makes the iPhone and Kindle, has struggled with worker unhappiness and has dealt with a number of employee suicides. The working conditions at a Foxconn plant was the subject of Daisey's play.
About 150 of the 32,000 workers at the plant were involved in the dispute, which escalated on Jan. 3rd when workers climbed to the top of the company's dormitory. The issue arose after Foxconn announced its intentions to shift workers.
"Actually none of them were going to jump. They were there for the compensation. But the government and the company officials were just as afraid, because if even one of them jumped, the consequences would be hard to imagine," Wang Jungang, an equipment engineer in the Xbox production line, told the New York Times.
Forty five of the employees eventually resigned over the dispute.


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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is a cultural and religious enigma. An indigenous American religion that springs from the great American West, it was founded by the descendants of Europeans who had settled in the northeastern United States. Its practitioners, known as Mormons, are celebrated by many for their support and practice of the traditional American values of family, patriotism, and love of God. Yet in the nineteenth century it practiced and preached plural marriage (polygamy), battled the U.S. government for its very existence largely because of that practice, and offered an alien creed to largely Protestant America. Although the LDS church in 1890 rejected polygamy and thus ended its fights with Washington over the practice, its idiosyncratic beliefs remain intact. These include belief in a corporeal finite God who is an exalted and perfect man, an uncreated universe for which God is not the first cause, a doctrine of salvation (or exaltation) that promises divine status to its recipients, and extrabiblical scriptures and prophetic revelation contrary to the catholic creeds of Christendom.
Founded in 1830, the Mormon church's central message is that Christianity had lost the true gospel only a few generations after Jesus' original disciples had died. (Mormons are unclear on precisely when this total apostasy was complete, but it surely had to have occurred prior to the formulation of the A.D. 325 Nicene Creed, which the LDS church rejects). The point is that true Christianity had vanished from the earth for roughly 1,500 to 1,700 years, until a fourteen-year old resident of Palmyra, New York, named Joseph Smith Jr. claimed that, as a result of answered prayer, he was personally visited by God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Smith was instructed by them to join none of the Christian churches. This is when Mormons believe Smith began his cooperation with God and his Son in the restoration of the true gospel.
Part of the restoration included a new set of inspired scriptures, the first of which was the Book of Mormon (1830), which contains the story of the resurrected Christ visiting America and preaching and teaching his gospel to its native peoples. According to the LDS narrative, Smith translated the Book of Mormon from gold plates that were buried in New York's Hill Cumorah, a location that was revealed to him by the Angel Moroni. Another aspect of the restoration included a new ecclesiastical structure based on apostolic succession and the passing on of priestly authority without requiring a special class of clerics. According to Smith, in 1829 he and his friend Oliver Cowdery were visited by John the Baptist, who bestowed on them the Aaronic Priesthood, which empowers its recipients to preach, baptize, ordain others, and perform Levitical duties. Smith claimed that, soon after receiving the Aaronic priesthood, he and Cowdery were visited by the Apostles Peter, James, and John, who literally laid hands on Smith and Cowdery in order to restore the Melchizedek Priesthood. This bestowed on them apostolic status as well as the power to administer ordinances, promulgate doctrine, and organize and lead the church.
Even if one thinks that Smith was profoundly mistaken (as I do), one cannot help but marvel at the religious genius of this project: It has all the advantages of Reformation Protestantism and nineteenth-century Restorationism ("Let's get back to what Jesus and the apostles originally taught") with all the advantages of Catholicism and Orthodoxy¯an apostolic magisterium within the confines of a visible church. Smith has both a priesthood of all believers and a priesthood managed by a church hierarchy. He offers a new gospel unconstrained by centuries of theological precedent, yet it he could claim that it is as old as the apostles. He could, without contradiction, reject tradition while claiming to be the true guardian of an ancient message. It may be wrong, but it was brilliant.
It is now 2007, and this church, which began in 1830 with only a handful of American followers, has mushroomed to nearly thirteen million members worldwide, one of which, Mitt Romney, is running for the 2008 Republican nomination for president of the United States. In A Mormon In the White House? (Regnery, 2007), Hugh Hewitt does a masterful job of providing us with Romney's compelling biography as well as addressing "The Mormon Question." Not only do we learn about Romney's achievements as governor of Massachusetts (2003¯2007), we learn about his personal history, including his academic accomplishments at Brigham Young University and the Harvard law and business schools, as well as his relationship with his father, the late George Romney (former governor of Michigan and presidential candidate). Hewitt also provides appealing narratives of Romney's work at Bain & Company, not to mention his legendary leadership in miraculously turning the scandal-ridden and poorly managed 2002 Winter Olympics into an amazing success.
Hewitt also touts Romney's social-conservative credentials on the issues of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and marriage. He provides a convincing account of Romney's apparent flip-flop on abortion, from pro-choice to pro-life. It seems to me that pro-lifers should not be too hard on Romney in this regard, since both Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush changed their positions on the issue.
As for "the Mormon Question," Hewitt accurately presents LDS theology and does a fine job of shooting down the sorts of ridiculous bigotries that Romney will likely face during his run. Hewitt also offers clear and persuasive responses to several more serious objections to Romney's candidacy¯for example, "A Mormon president will supercharge Mormons' missionary work," "[Mormonism] is just too weird." Most important, Hewitt addresses what I call the Creedal Mistake.
This mistake occurs when a Christian citizen believes that the planks of his creed are the best standard by which to judge the suitability of a political candidate. For example, suppose a Presbyterian votes for one of Romney's primary opponents solely on the basis of the governor's rejection of the Nicene Creed. An elder who did this would not truly understand the purpose of creeds: to provide church members and the world at large a summary of beliefs that one must embrace in order to be considered an orthodox member of that body. Creeds are not meant to measure the qualifications of a political candidate in a liberal democracy. Not only does the formulation of Christendom's most important creeds predate the existence of liberal democracies, their subject matter bears no relation to assessing those attributes that we consider essential to the leadership of a political regime. In practice, most Christians already fully grasp this truth.
For example, many evangelicals in the 1980 presidential election voted for Ronald W. Reagan over Jimmy Carter, even though Carter was clearly more evangelical in his theology and church participation than Reagan. For Reagan's supporters, it was his policies and not his theology that was decisive for them. Although these evangelicals would have likely chosen Carter over Reagan to teach Sunday school, they preferred Reagan in the Oval Office because they believed that Reagan's policies best advanced the common good.
If one believes that the common good is achieved when a political regime treats justly its citizens and the many institutions that help develop and sustain their virtue, a candidate who embraces these ideals, even if he or she is not a Christian, is a candidate that a Christian can support with a clear conscience. Hewitt trots out a number of historical examples to make this point.
Unfortunately, Hewitt does not address what I call the Kennedy Mistake, even though he mentions John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential race and the questions raised about his Catholicism. Many Protestant Christians at the time were concerned that Kennedy's commitment as a Catholic to the teaching of the Church's Magisterium on a variety of social, moral, and political issues would serve as his guide for U.S. domestic and foreign policy. In order to assuage Protestant fears, on September 12, 1960, Kennedy addressed the Greater Houston Ministerial Association and assured the attendees that nothing of his Catholic faith would play any role in his judgments as occupant of the White House.
Kennedy's speech reads like a complete acquiescence to American mainline Protestant notions of privatized faith and anti-clericalism, as well as its stereotypical, outdated, and uncharitable ideas about the Catholic hierarchy and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Kennedy could have argued that his Catholicism informs him of certain theological and moral doctrines that will make him a thoughtful and principled president. He could have consulted and mined from the works of Catholic scholars who were able defenders of liberal democracy and the natural law that grounds it. But he did not. Kennedy's speech was a terrible concession. For it played to his audience's anti-Catholic prejudices while saying that his religious beliefs are so trivial that he would govern exactly the same if they were absent.
Romney, in order to pacify secularists and traditional Christians, may be tempted to emulate Kennedy and claim that his theology and church do not influence or shape his politics. But this would be a mistake. For it would signal to traditional Christians that Romney does not believe that theology could, in principle, count as knowledge; but this is precisely the view of the secularist who believes that religion, like matters of taste, should remain private. Yet if a citizen has good reason to believe her theological tradition offers real insights into the nature of humanity and the common good¯insights that could be defended on grounds that even a secularist cannot easily dismiss¯why should she remain mute simply because the secularist stipulates a definition of religion that requires her silence? Why should she accept the secularist's limitations on her religious liberty based on what appears to many of us as a capricious and politically convenient understanding of "religion"? If Romney commits the Kennedy Mistake, it would give tacit permission to secularists to call into question the political legitimacy of not only Romney's fellow religionists (including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid) but also conservative Catholics and evangelicals.
If one does not support Romney's candidacy, it should not be because he is a Mormon. It should be because one has good reason to believe he is not the best candidate for the office. That is the message of Hewitt's book. It is one that would resonate with Martin Luther, who once tersely said, "I'd rather be ruled by a competent Turk than an incompetent Christian."
Francis J. Beckwith is associate professor of philosophy and church-state studies at Baylor University, and co-editor of The New Mormon Challenge (Zondervan, 2002). His website is francisbeckwith.com .


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Are there any cheaper payment options? I'm travelling to the city and back for work, 5 days a week sort of thing.
Also, for something recently released and touted to revolutionise transport, I can ONLY top up my card by going to a physical location. No online top up. I'm so used to doing things online e.g. power, internets and mobile so this is just a bit odd (and inconvenient.)
Maybe the lady I spoke with from Maxx was wrong? Maybe this page is wrong?
Oh, and lets not forget that next year I'd need to replace the card with the AT card... rar! :(
Anyway, just want to cover all my bases and get second, third etc opinions before I decide which way to go. Either way it'll still be better than paying for parking, paying for petrol and getting stuck in evening rush hour traffic.


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Mustang MonthlyHow To Interior Electrical
How To Install Power Windows
Electric-Life takes the grunt work out of opening and closing windows
Step By StepView Photo Gallery
Imagine motoring up to your favorite cruising spot and effortlessly rolling down your windows. Power windows are an easy classic-Mustang upgrade you can install in a day, taking the grunt work out of cranking those old manual windows. Electric-Life power windows from National Parts Depot are designed to bolt in to replace your Mustang's manual roll-up windows.
To install power windows, you need to prepare. Consider replacing door weatherstripping, window channels, and other soft parts while you're at it. Hit your local AutoZone or Pep Boys for tools of the electrical trade; butt connectors, bullet plugs, wire crimpers, a soldering gun, solder, heat-shrink tubing, flexible rubber or plastic conduit, attachment hardware that isn't included in the kit, sheetmetal cutting tools, a die grinder, 3M's strip caulk or other flexible sealer, water shields, and more.
So let's get started. During this exercise, we learned the hard way what we shouldn't take apart. For example, we undid the aft window track only to discover it wasn't necessary. One downside to the Electric-Life window kit is the instructions aren't detailed enough for those of us with two left hands. Outside of that, the kit is easy to install and operate.
Wiring can be confusing and intimidating. Power windows get power from one source that's energized when the ignition switch is on or in accessory mode. Power can come from the ignition switch or an accessory female pigtail lead that's energized when the ignition is on. We discourage using a power source that is live all the time.
Safety First
It takes a lot of power to run window glass up and down inside a vintage Mustang door. A powerful short-duration, shunt-wound series motor and gear drive makes it possible, but keep safety in mind during installation. Keep your hands, fingers, and arms out of harm's way inside the door whenever testing and whenever the battery is connected. Electric Life power window mechanisms (and any power window mechanism, for that matter) have enough power to damage fingers, hands, and arms. Because these mechanisms move quickly, it takes just a second for an accident to happen. Remember, safety first: Protect your hands and arms during testing, and cover your eyes and ears during grinding and cutting.


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Quebec Land Register refers to the entire cadastral system and its variety of component documentation. The actes, or full notarial entries, are now digitized as far back as the oldest cadastre system. Brenda corrected her blooper (BLUSH) for Index des Immeubles. Immeubles = immovables, i.e. real estate. Meubles = furniture. I knew that! I doubt anyone wants to waste time on the furnishings of a registry office!
Meanwhile ... accessing the digital materials is what genealogists and family historians want to do. To have a go at searching the online database, the Quebec ministry responsible for the Quebec Land Register is Natural Resources (and choose English unless you are proficient en francais). I would show a screen shot, but blogger does not like .jsp extensions ... woe is moi.
It's essential to do your homework first:
1. Read all the information provided in various sections on the website.
2. Identify the cadastral number of the lot you want to search.
Steps 1 and 2 should be acted upon conjunctively.
3. Make sure your computer meets the specifications (outils requis) and downloads indicated on the site.
Number 1
At the home page, click on Land Survey was at the bottom of the page. On the next page, click on Land Register of Québec on the left. Then read the information options on the left before you proceed: they are in English (as you go deeper into the site, you have to work mainly with French). An important initial option is How to Consult with its numerous links, especially Procedures and also Consultation Tools. Take your time—there is much information to absorb for a technical dunce like me!
Number 2
Remember, Quebec is divided into circonscriptions (divisions) and then cadastres (districts), each of the latter having a series of lot numbers. The cadastre number is your KEY for accessing all options in the Land Register, before trying the database search.
The site does have municipal contact information (Répertoires des municipalités du Québec) but of course they are concerned only with current addresses for tax purposes. It's up to you to obtain relevant material about the ancestor's historical location from every resource at your disposal—old maps, local histories, etc.—so you can determine where that location fits into today's division and district.
Number 3
You will not find success with the search engine unless you have a fairly updated version of Internet Explorer and then download the two special viewers. The How to Consult page leads to Consultation Tools. Internet Explorer 6.0 is the minimum browser requirement (searching will not work, for example, with Firefox); the free viewer plug-ins are Active CGM (Intercap) and WinZip.
Finally, you must sign in to use the database as an occasional client or a regular client creating an account. In either case, each time you use it, the credit card information is mandatory—when you sign out none of the information is retained. A search that brings results on your screen means the charge goes on your credit card. The website advises:
You may access information in the online Land Register of Québec without opening a client account, but you must use a credit card for payment and provide some information each time you begin a consultation session. Note that when you choose this method, you will not receive a user code or password, and you will need to print your invoice before leaving the site. In addition, you will be asked to approve a $5 charge at the beginning of your work session. This is a credit card company preauthorization, and you will not be billed for it.Sharon says: "Everything located via a search in the online database is viewable, saveable, printable, etc. Once you see the result of a search, the fee has been charged and it is yours!" Voilà! Et bonne chance! May I add, any further confusions are strictly due to the dunce and not to her advisors.
To give further credit to the friends who assisted me:
● Sharon Callaghan is the author of Paths of Opportunity, recently launched by Shoreline Press. Genealogists and family historians, take note that it is "a portrayal of the Irish Montreal experience of one family among many who helped make Montreal what it is today" (publisher's blurb). The book discusses community social life and the places, institutions, and events our ancestors would have encountered.
● Gary Schroder is the president of the Quebec Family History Society and a well-known speaker on genealogical records in Quebec and the British Isles. Gary will be giving presentations on Quebec research at the Conference of the Ontario Genealogical Society in Toronto in May.


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Miscellaneous thoughts about miscellaneous matters
Humans have been consuming alcohol for at least as long as there have been humans, and there are good reasons to believe that the desire for more alcohol was the driving force behind the development of agriculture. Humans probably got their first tastes of alcohol from fallen fruit that naturally fermented. There's no way to tell for sure, but there are signs of ale, sort of, having been made from seeds about twenty-five thousand years ago, and it is generally accepted that agriculture developed
A few days ago I started a thoughtful and detailed blog on the problem of homelessness in the U.S.A., its causes, and suggestions for correcting the problem. After considering the matter more carefully, I realized that I was wasting my time, because the fundamental problem is stupidity, plain and simple. I realize that this is somewhat oversimplified, but when we get down to the nitty-gritty thats whats there. But I will admit to over-generalizing. I am somewhat familiar with the homeless population
For some reason I was thinking about the unfortunate matter of prohibitions on alcohol that are age based and the matter of binge drinking and stupidity. It probably came to mind because there is an oversized university near here, and it isnt easy to get a sandwich and a pint of ale together (some fools think that it will encourage alcoholism or something like that). It is sad that the custom of consuming alcoholic beverages with meals is dying out, but thats what the people who think that they
Updated 12-02-2014 at 10:23 AM by PeterL
Note: I had written a blog on how to solve the Middle East Crisis, but that was too controversial, so the following is being posted instead.
I have gotten the impression that there is a great deal of concern with the number of people who are obese; although the people who are concerned with the level of obesity tend not to be obese, and indeed there are obese people who are completely unconcerned with the situation, but the causes and cure for obesity are relativity simple


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Michael Vick has now been in jail for about six months, and though he still has at least a year-and-a-half to go, he's not immune to bad news from outside the prison. As if possibly had any money left, now the Canadians are after him.
A federal judge on Thursday ordered imprisoned quarterback Michael Vick to repay more than $2.4 million to a Canadian bank for defaulting on a loan.
The Royal Bank of Canada sued Vick in September, arguing his guilty plea to a federal dogfighting charge — and the resulting impact on his career — prevented him from repaying the loan.
This was the loan Vick took our for his restaurant, which didn't work out well either. You know, Michael? Considering the debt and protests that await you when you get out of jail, you almost might be better of staying in there.
Vick Sacked With $2.4M Loan Default [ABC News]


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Today's topic is walling stone in courses.
As any bricklayer will tell you, walling material of equal courses is faster and therefore probably more efficient and economical than walling random stuff (although the later may be more satisfying and fulfilling).
Our practical object is a disused barn on The Chevin, West Yorkshire, UK. It's in the progress of being converted into a kitchen and dining room, but that need not concern us here (however, the proprietors of the existing eatery make a mean orange cake, which I can recommend).
When walling a building such as this, the practice is to build the corners first. Building the corners entails ensuring that they are square and plumb on two faces, then the courses can easily be run across using the corners as guides by running a string across and walling the courses between the corners to that line. The cornerstones are clearly visible at right and left of this elevation of the former barn. You may notice that, starting from the courses above the massive lintels above the ground floor doors and windows, the corners are alternately tall and broad. If you were able to see the righthand or indeed lefthand elevations you would see that the tall on this elevation becomes broad on the gable elevation and the broad on this elevation becomes tall on the gable. OK, so far so good. The corners are made hefty as they are important to the stability of the building. Turning now to the walling between the corners, starting low down, you will see that the courses run across two courses high for each corner stone. The run across is interrupted by the 'door' in the middle. This would have been where hay etc was forked up into the barn from a cart, but I digress. This forking hole also has cornerstones, one to every two courses.
The lefthand courses do not add up exactly to the number of cornerstones and a smaller stone lies beneath the lintel of the hole. This should not have happened. I can hear the cursing now.
Stand back a bit and imagine the building going up a couple hundred years ago. Men are working from a wooden scaffold. They have lime mortar and stone on the scaffold. Their tools and themselves. A couple of craftsmen and labourers. One craftsman works from left to right (the natural and easy way) and one works from right to left (easy for a scaevola but uncomfortable for a right-handed waller). The waller working from left to right "gets a pig in it" that is his courses don't level through to his mate's. This is corrected with the narrow stone under the lintel. Phew.
But. It now gets worse. Because of adding that extra stone his second next course ends higher than the top of the cornerstone. The cursing gets more fierce. I'll wager the man working on the left was either an apprentice, drunk, or hung over.
The fault actually starts above the fourth course of stones. In fact the third corner up at each end are unequal in height, and throw all the rest of the work out, because the lefthand one is too short.
It's not as though these cornerstones are just any old pieces of stone that came to hand; they have worked margins. Not very clear, but below you may just be able to make out a narrow band of smoothed stone about an inch and a half wide, running up the arris (or corner) of the lower stone. In fact all the corners have been thus worked, time consuming. Just a little more concentration by whoever was on the banker bench working the corners would have made pairs of equal height.
Anyway, they managed to get level across at the eaves for the roof to sit on, but not without a right lash up involving the third last course being out at BOTH sides.
What a story – frozen now in time, and probably ignored by all, except maybe the men who have just repointed the whole building.


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Today, health insurance is a necessity for most families. Health insurance helps subscribers pay for a portion of most routine and unexpected medical costs. There are many varieties of health insurance on the market and choosing the right one for an individual's personal situation can seem like a daunting task. Some plans can pay directly to the care provider while others require the subscriber to pay the provider first and then submit the receipt to be reimbursed through the insurance plan. Wirefly is available to help subscribers compare health insurance plans in Delta, PA and receive free quotes online.
Most residents in Delta, PA usually receive health insurance through their employer sponsored plan or through private insurance. Senior citizens may be eligible to receive their health insurance through Medicare while families falling into the low-income brackets can usually get their insurance through Medicaid programs. Medicare and Medicaid programs are often less expensive than other private health insurance plans.
Choosing the right coverage for your health care needs can be extremely hard since the future can be unpredictable. The best way to properly predict how much coverage you'll need is to use the amount from the past year.
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Deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses are different. A deductible means the amount a person will pay yearly before the insurance begins, and out-of-pocket expenses is what individuals will pay before the insurance company will pay the full bill.
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Home » Art-Historic » JOHN CAGE: Shock Vol 2
JOHN CAGE: Shock Vol 2
In October 1962 John Cage and David Tudor went to Japan to present a series of historic concerts. These are invaluable recordings, not least because they aren�t of selected repertoire reconsidered in tranquility but capture all the atmosphere of a time when all this was new and highly radical. And it�s a fine programme - played by the best exponents. Volume 2 contains Karlheinz Stockhausen�s Klavierstucke 10 performed by David Tudor and John Cage�s 26�55.988 for 2 pianists and a string player (David Tudor, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Kenjo Kobayashi, with Yoko Ono adding some characteristic vocalising). There�s some very radical amplification (and maybe treatment) going on too, to judge by the recording. It�s a really wild piece. Comes in a nicely packaged double-fold card sleeve, with fine pictures, and notes.
Code: EM1105CD
Price: £18.50


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Solar panel installation requires careful thought and careful planning. You can't just throw the panel up anywhere and hope for the best. They need to be placed where they will provide the maximum effect, thereby giving you the maximum return on investment. Photovoltaic panels rely on the light of the sun for their power. The sun travels across the sky each day and is never in one spot for very long. This means that your solar panel installation needs to take the sun's path across the sky very much into account.
The most common place for photovoltaic panel installation is on the roof of a house or building. This is where the sun's rays hit first, and where they are most likely to strike throughout the day as there is usually little if any interference between the sun and the building roof. There are two possible way of installing the photovoltaic's on a roof. They can be installed as panels directly on to the existing roof structure, or they can be the actual roof can be converted into an array of solar panels that are an integral part of the roof.
The first method of installation is the most commonly found. It is relatively easy to do and does not involve too much disruption or cost. The second method is much more involved. It is probably the best long-term solution, but it is likely to cost more, and the work will probably take more time to complete. Either method works more or less the same, and the most important thing is placement. A south facing part of a sloping roof is usually the best place for solar panel installation, and this is where you will find them most often.
Finding the best area to install your solar panels is one thing, but you also need to ensure that the area chosen is large enough to accommodate your energy generation needs. Solar panels tend to take up quite a lot of space, and each panel only provides a modest amount of power. It requires a large array if your power needs are greater than average.
Conclusion Solar panel installation is a job best left to the experts. They are familiar with all the various problems you are likely to encounter, and they generally have all the answers too. There are many factors to take into account when installing solar panels, things like the average sunlight your location receives over a year, the degree of damage causing winds likely to be experienced every year, and whether the best place for installing the panels can provide enough energy. Photovoltaic panel installation is not particularly difficult to do, but a professional will always do it best.


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Aquarium Admission
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Marvel at the bustling penguin colony, then circle the four-story Caribbean coral reef teeming with sea turtles, eels, barracuda, tarpon and hundreds more tropical fish. Your Aquarium adventure includes playful seals, eye-catching jellies and unforgettable hands-on experiences at our shark and ray touch tank. With fish from our watery backyard and reefs around the world, the Aquarium will delight families and ocean lovers alike.


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Facts About Puerto Rico Statehood As a state, Puerto Rico would have the 25th highest population of any state and would send six or seven Congressmen to Washington as well as two Senators. The House is limited to 435 Members, so a state of Puerto Rico would cost at least six states one Congressman each. Language Fully 90% of Puerto Rico's high school graduates do not speak English well. As a state, Puerto Rico could make Spanish its only official language (as it did in 1990) and require the rest of the United States to adapt to them. That could cost $2-3 billion each year in language translation costs alone based on the costs Quebec imposes on Canada. Income Puerto Rico's per capita income of $8,509 is less than one third of the US average, and about one half that of Mississippi, the poorest state. The average monthly per capita income in Puerto Rico would be $709 per month. Social Security Disability payments are at least $790 per month. Rank of a state of Puerto Rico as a state among states based on population: 25th Rank of Puerto Rico currently if included among states based on persons receiving disability income: 16th In Puerto Rico, 50% of families have incomes of less than $10,000. In the United States, 67% of families have incomes of $25,000 or more. Earned Income Credit: maximum benefit of $3,556 applies to workers earning between $8,900 and $11,610. Amount of expected income to the U.S. Treasury from individuals in Puerto Rico because of the Earned Income Credit: $0. Percentage of Puerto Ricans on the island who receive food stamps in 1989: 43.5% Amount of expected increase in welfare payments annually to Puerto Rico as a state: $3 billion. Crime United States Murder Rate (1996): 7.4 per 100,000. New York City Murder Rate (1996): 12.0 per 100,000. Puerto Rico Murder Rate (1996): 25.0 per 100,000. Rank of Puerto Rico if included among states based on 1996 murder rates: 6th. Employment Patterns in Puerto Rico The government sector in Puerto Rico generates approximately 380,000 jobs, or 33% of total employment. Percentage of the economy of Puerto Rico from manufacturing: 42%. Percentage of the economy of Puerto Rico from tourism: About 6%. Total employment in Puerto Rico provided by 936 corporations: 11%. Tax benefit a 936 corporation receives per employee per year: about $24,000. Average employee salary in a 936 corporation per year: $22,000. A 1990 Congressional Budget Office study concluded that, under statehood, Puerto Rico would suffer a permanent decrease in GNP of ten to fifteen percent by the year 2000 accompanied by a direct loss of between 50,000 and 100,000 private sector jobs. The 1990 CBO study estimated that statehood would cost the US government over $9 billion in additional federal spending during the first four years of statehood, much of it to compensate for the loss of jobs in the private sector. Puerto Rico's operating budget: $6 billion. Puerto Rico's national debt: $20 billion. Sources: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing Testimony on Puerto Rico Statehood, May 19, 1998; FBI Uniform Crime Reports, September 28, 1997; Social Security Administration; U.S. Census (1990 data); Commissioner of Official Languages Annual Report (1997) [Canada]; New York Times. Last modified: January 19, 2001