text: ASUS Super Memspeed Technology Enhances Memory Speed - Support Intel® next generation 45nm Multi-core CPU- Intel LGA775 Platform- Intel® G33 chipset- Dual-channel DDR2 1066/800/667 MHz - 2x1394- 12xUSB 2.0- All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors Shop Modal header ASUS Super Memspeed Technology Enhances Memory Speed LGA775 Intel® 45nm Processor Ready This motherboard supports the latest Intel 45nm CPU which introduces new micro-architecture features for greater performance at a given frequency, up to 50% larger L2 caches, and expanded power management capabilities for new levels of energy efficiency. LGA775 Intel® Core™2 Processor ReadyThis motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™2 processors in LGA775 package. It also can support Intel® next generation 45nm Multi-Core CPU. With new Intel® Core™ microarchitecture technology and 1333 / 1066 / 800 MHz FSB, Intel® Core™2 processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPU in the world. Intel® G33 ChipsetThe Intel® G33 Express Chipset boosts your gaming and multimedia experience with the integrated graphics engine Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3100. It supports 1333MHz FSB (front-side-bus), and delivers breakthrough advances in 3D and 2D graphics; and video capabilities. This integrated chipset is able to meet the changing display requirements of visually rich applications and features the Intel® Clear Video Technology - which trailblazes new standards in high-definition video, crisp imaging, and accurate color control. Native DDR2 1066 SupportTo attain top performance, ASUS engineers have successfully unleashed the true potential of DDR2 memory. While in DDR2 1066 mode, ASUS´s exclusive technology offers a choice of FSB 1333 - providing great performance for 3D graphics and other memory demanding applications. ASUS Super Memspeed Technology Surpass the Limit with Easy Overclocking Automatically To attain top performance, ASUS has managed to break through current FSB and DRAM ratio proportions by utilizing Super Memspeed Technology - the latest technology that provides even more precise overclocking options to unleash the true potential of DDR2 memory. Native DDR2 1066 maximizes system performance by eliminating the bottleneck when overclocking both the CPU and memory - providing great performance for 3D graphics and other memory demanding applications. Save 50% CPU Power - AI Gear 2Power Savings for Environment-Friendly ComputingAI Gear2 allows users to choose profiles to adjust CPU frequency and vCore voltage to minimize system noise and power consumption. For example, users can change the mode in real-time in the operating system to max power saving mode and can save up to 50% power for the CPU when using word processing applications. Q-FanConstant, high-pitched noise generated from heatsink fans are a thing of the past thanks to ASUS Q-Fan. This motherboard with Q-Fan technology intelligently adjusts fan speeds according to system loading to ensure quiet, cool and efficient operation IEEE 1394a interfaceIEEE 1394a interface provides high speed digital interface for audio/video appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals & other PC portable devices. High Definition Audio Enjoy high-end sound system on your PC! The onboard 8-channel HD audio (High Definition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality 192KHz/24-bit audio output, jack-sensing feature, retasking functions and multi-streaming technology that simultaneously sends different audio streams to different destinations. You can now talk to your partners on the headphone while playing a multi-channel network games. All of these are done on one computer. AI Nap Minimize noise and power consumption when temporarily away With AI Nap, users can instantly snooze your PC without terminating the tasks. System will continue operating at minimum power and noise when user is temporarily away. It keeps downloading files or running applications in quietest state while you´re sleeping. Simply click keyboard or mouse, you can swiftly wake up the system in few seconds. Q-Connector Make connection quick and accurate! The ASUS Q-Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel cables in one easy step with one complete module. This unique adapter eliminates the trouble of plugging in one cable at a time, making connection quick and accurate. CrashFree BIOS 3 Simply restore corrupted BIOS data from USB flash disk The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a USB flash disk containing the BIOS file. This utility saves users the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip. EZ Flash 2 Simply update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility. Simply launch this tool and update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS. You can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or using an OS-based flash utility. C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall) Protect your BIOS data when overclocking. When the system hangs due to overclocking failure, there is no need to open the case to clear CMOS data. Just simply restart the system, the BIOS would show the previous setting and then users can amend the CPU setting again. Noise Filter Eliminate background noise while recording This feature detects repetitive and stationary noises like computer fans, air conditioners, and other background noises then eliminates it in the incoming audio stream while recording. MyLogo2 Personalize your system with customizable boot logo You can convert your favorite photo into a 256-color boot logo for a more colorful and vivid image on your screen. S/PDIF-out on Back I/O Port This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater audio systems via coaxial and optical S/PDIF-out (SONY-PHILIPS Digital Interface) jacks. It allows to transfer digital audio without converting to analog format and keeps the best signal quality. Uses 100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors!This motherboard uses all high-quality conductive polymer capacitors onboard for durability, improved lifespan, and enhanced thermal capacity. GreenASUS The motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union´s Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This is in line with the ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and recyclable products and packaging to safeguard consumers´ health while minimizing the impact on the environment.


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The major labor of the day was in the making of one HUGE batch of soup. I'm serious about the size of this batch since it filled two stock pots and one smaller cooking pot. We went shopping this morning for all the ingredients, which I will list below.
2 red potatoes
4 Yukon Gold potatoes
2 turnips
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 cabbage
1 bunch of kale
6 tomatoes
4 tomatilos
1 large leek
2 yellow onions
1 red onion
1 bunch of celery
1 portobello mushroom
3 white mushrooms
8 shitake mushrooms
12 brussell sprouts
2 yellow summer squash
3 small zucchini
7 carrots
2 oz. fresh basil
1/3 cup fresh parsley
This all had to have a base, of course, which was a vegetarian version of chicken boullion. It makes a freaking delicious soup- and now the plan is the keep most of it in smaller containers in the freezer to pull out regularly for quite some time. (I'm supposed to make nonstarchy vegetables 1/2 of my diet.) Before I met Paul, I had never tried several of these vegetables and some of them are new as of today. Before today, I had never tried tomatilos and both of us had never had kale before. I recommend kale if you want an alternative to lettuce every now and then. It smells vaguely minty but it doesn't taste that way at all. It's kind of like lettuce with a bit more flavor.... difficult to describe but worthwhile to try.
Oh, if you want to make this soup, it's delicious with various combinations of whichever vegetables you happen to like. Pick and choose between the ones above, although I have to say potatoes are a must. The flavor is just not quite right without them. Anything else can be in whatever quantity you desire and feel free to not include any of the above as well. The important thing is just to find ways to get more vegetables in your diet- it will always make you feel like such a healthy person!
Monday, March 9, 2009
The King of Vegetable Soups.
The major labor of the day was in the making of one HUGE batch of soup. I'm serious about the size of this batch since it filled two stock pots and one smaller cooking pot. We went shopping this morning for all the ingredients, which I will list below.
Posted by Jessio at 7:58 PM
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Is "will power" actually one word or two?
Wow. I've come down with some kind of cold/allergy/head congestion sickness and I am just not good at making myself do things when I'm sick. I was just visiting my friend and she has a similar sickness, except that she's been working fifty hours this week at a demanding job and I cannot see how she is still alive.
In the the beginning of time when the traits were being handed out, I just didn't get in line for "will power." I suppose I thought that I wouldn't need that particular one if I had certain others, but I sometimes seriously wish that I had it. When it comes down to it, I just simply don't.
So make sure to let me know if someone comes around again handing out traits... I'll get in line for will power this time and then I will be completely unaffected by any illness...!
Ha ha ha.
Posted by Jessio at 7:54 PM
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Lesson of IPODs.
Yesterday when I was driving, I almost hit a girl on a bike! It was in kind of a weird situation where this car was parked the road and I was continually blocked by oncoming traffic from leaving a parking lot. I finally had a chance to zip in between two cars, so I hit the gas and right that second, a young woman on a bike appeared from nowhere in the same space and I just about creamed her. Seriously. I was maybe an inch from hitting her! It scared me to death.
The crazy thing is that she didn't even notice. I'm not kidding! She was listening to an IPOD and didn't even turn her head in my direction! She was very nearly escorted to the pearly gates and she wasn't even aware of it. I really don't know how some people have survived to adulthood. She must have had extremely protective parents who were there to prevent her from, you know, sticking forks into light sockets and riding in the car without a seatbelt. Otherwise I'm sure she would have died long ago by just not paying attention to the world.
But I was grateful anyway that I didn't actually kill her. It would have been so horrible if I hadn't noticed her until after she was under my car.
So this is the lesson of... Ipods. Ipods can kill you if you're not careful. :)
Posted by Jessio at 5:10 PM

subset: commoncrawl


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Since the introduction of REST interface in SharePoint 2010 you have probably used WebClient or HttpWebRequest in .NET applications.
HttpClient is a modern HTTP client for .NET, it provides a flexible and extensible API for accessing resources via HTTP(S).
HttpClient offers some advantages over WebClient/HttpWebRequest such as:
- An HttpClient instance is the place to configure extensions, set default headers, cancel outstanding requests and more.
- You can issue as many requests as you like through a single HttpClient instance.
- HttpClients are not tied to particular HTTP server or host; you can submit any HTTP request using the same HttpClient instance.
- You can derive from HttpClient to create specialized clients for particular sites or patterns
- HttpClient uses the new Task-oriented pattern for handling asynchronous requests making it dramatically easier to manage and coordinate multiple outstanding requests.
HttpClient for SharePoint Online
The solution consists of:
- SPHttpClient class that inherits from HttpClient and provides some additional SharePoint specific functionaly such as getting request digest
- SPHttpClientHandler class that basically hides all the intricacies related to SharePoint Online authentication
SharePoint Online client implementation
SharePoint Online HTTP handler implementation
Working with list items with REST
The following example shows how to retrieve all of a list's items:
The following example shows how to retrieve a specific list item:
The following example shows how to create a list item:
The following example shows how to update a list item:
The following example shows how to delete a list item:


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Please be advised that changing your location while shopping will remove all the contents from your shopping bag
Orders placed with Saturday deliveries are expected to be delivered on Saturday
if placed by 1PM(EST) on Friday, subject to the following conditions:
If an order is placed after 1PM(EST) on Friday, it is expected to be delivered
on the Saturday of the following week, as indicated during the checkout process.
Saturday deliveries cannot be made on holidays.
Saturday delivery service is only available for item(s) in your order that are
immediately available. Item(s) that are not immediately available will be
placed on a priority waiting list and will be shipped with free ground service
once they become available for shipment. To ensure Saturday delivery, please
confirm that your shipping address can accommodate Saturday deliveries.
Saturday delivery is not available for hawaii, alaska or puerto rico at this
For additional information,
please refer to the
assistance section.


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Several House Republicans are proposing a national standard to protect buyers of trucking services from claims that they were negligent when selecting the carrier.
The bill by Rep. John Duncan, R-Tenn., says that shippers and brokers would not be liable for negligence claims at the state level if they made sure that the carrier is registered at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, has the required insurance and does not have an unsatisfactory safety rating.
Duncan is the vice chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and actively engaged in drafting that committee's highway bill. He is joined on this bill, H.R. 4727, by Reps. Rodney Davis of Illinois and Erik Paulsen of Minnesota.
Robert Voltmann, president and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association, said TIA helped draft the language and hopes to see it become part of the next highway bill.
He said the problem is that states are setting their own standards for liability when there should be a national interstate standard.
"Let's say you are a shipper or broker in California," he said. "You hire a motor carrier based in Ohio to move a load from Texas to New Jersey. What liability criteria should you use in selecting that carrier?"
"Tell me where the accident's going to occur and then I'll tell you what you should have done. There is no federal standard. It's up to each state and state judge making those decisions. That's not interstate commerce."
Voltmann said it is FMCSA's job to say whether or not a carrier is fit, in terms of safety, to do business.
The agency does make safety fitness determinations based on a compliance review, but it does not have the resources to perform compliance reviews on all carriers so many are not rated.
The CSA enforcement system, which measures carrier safety with data from roadside inspections and other sources besides compliance reviews, is intended to broaden the agency's ability to rate carrier fitness. But FMCSA has not yet completed the rule that will link CSA data with safety fitness determinations. The initial proposal for that rule is scheduled to be published in December.
Voltmann is optimistic that this proposal will clarify the issue.
He said Rep. Duncan recognizes that transportation purchasers are at a disadvantage.
"Without a national standard, you don't know until an accident has occurred and a lawsuit has been settled what the standard of care is in that district," he said.
"We want the agency to tell us who is unsafe and we'll stop using them," he said. "And we want a national standard of care in selecting motor carriers."
T&I Committee is supposed to report out a bill by this summer, before the current highway program expires at the end of September. But Capitol Hill insiders believe passage is not likely before the November mid-term elections, due to conflicts over how to pay for the measure.


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While walking the floor of the American Film Market (AFM) this morning, Steve was able to grab some images and synopses for a few upcoming films. Briefly:
- Rush – Director Ron Howard's 1970s drama focuses on the rivalry between Formula 1 racers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl). The film opens September 20th, 2013.
- Can a Song Save Your Life? – This uplifting music-centered drama comes from Once director John Carney and centers on the relationship between a struggling musician (Keira Knightley) and a music producer (Mark Ruffalo) in New York City. The cast also includes Hailee Steinfeld, Adam Levine, and Catherine Keener.
- Thérèse – This adaptation of the classic novel stars Elizabeth Olsen as a young woman trapped in an arranged marriage who conspires with her lover (Oscar Isaac) to dispose of her sickly cousin husband (Tom Felton). Jessica Lange also stars.
Hit the jump to check out images and detailed synopses for all three films.
Here's the synopsis for Rush:
Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing, RUSH portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed—handsome English playboy James Hunt and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Niki Lauda. Taking us into their personal lives on and off the track, RUSH follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error.
Here's the synopsis for Can a Song Save Your Life?:
From the director of the Academy Awards Winning film ONCE (Best Original Song), CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE? stars Academy Award Nominees Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld, and Catherine Keener. Anthony Bregman (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, OUR IDIOT BROTHER) will produce with Judd Apatow (BRIDESMAIDS, KNOCKED UP, SUPERBAD) executive producing.
Seduced by dreams of making it in the big city, Gretta (Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend move to New York to pursue their passion for music. She's heartbroken when he dumps her for the fame and fortune of a big solo contract, leaving Gretta all on her own. Her world takes a turn for the better when a down-on-his-luck record producer (Ruffalo) stumbles upon her singing in a local bar and is immediately captivated by her raw talent and inspiring authenticity—they may be each other's last chance to turn their lives around. Somewhere between friendship and their love of music, the two strangers strike a chord that captures the hearts of everyone around them, proving that every great story has its own soundtrack.
Here's the slightly spoilerly synopsis for Thérèse:
A romantic thriller set in the lower depths of 1860's Paris, THERESE is a tale of obsessive love, adultery, murder and revenge based on Emile Zola's scandalous novel THERESE RAQUIN.
Sexually repressed, beautiful and young, Therese (Olsen) is trapped in a loveless arranged marriage to her sickly cousin Camille (Felton). Spending her days working behind the counter of the family's small shop with her husband's domineering mother, Madame Raquin (Lange), an occasional dominos night is her only distraction.
When Camille brings home Laurent (Isaac), a charming and handsome childhood friend, Therese is drawn in by his primitive sexuality and overwhelming presence. A secret and risky affair quickly evolves into an insatiable obsession, and Therese is finally alive. Dominated and controlled solely by their lust, they soon plot to remove the only obstacle to their freedom – the unsuspecting Camille.
After a terrible "accident" takes Camille, Laurent quickly assumes his place as Therese's new husband and Madame's loving son. But guilt consumes the murderous pair, their desire unraveling into suspicion and mistrust while they torment each other with threats of confession. Watching as they spiral out of control, Madame comes to realize the horrific truth and Therese must finally face the tragic consequences of her own reckless passion.
Here are links to our other AFM coverage:
- Promo Poster for THE WOMAN IN BLACK: ANGEL OF DEATH
- THE EXPENDABLES 3 Confirmed; THE MECHANIC 2 Announced
- Winner of AFM 2012's Craziest Film: HANSEL AND GRETEL & THE 420 WITCH
- Synopses for JANE GOT A GUN, PARKLAND, GREEN INFERNO, WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES, and AGENT: CENTURY 21
- Promo Poster for Joss Whedon's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
- Images and Synopses for SNITCH Starring Dwayne Johnson, THE QUIET ONES, and PROJECT BLUE BOOK
- Promo Posters for TARZAN, IP MAN: THE FINAL FIGHT, SWITCH, and INAPPROPRIATE COMEDY


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John Kernick
Don't worry — you won't need a giant oven for this king-size tart. It's made in 4 quadrants, baked one at a time. And because the recipe uses packaged puff pastry, it's fairly simple to prepare.
- Yield
- Makes 16 to 24 servings
- Active Time
- 1 hour
- Total Time
- 2 1/2 hours
- 2 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons water
- 4 (17 1/4-oz) packages frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed but kept chilled
- 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger (4 oz)
- 2 pt strawberries (1 lb), hulled, then halved or quartered if large
- 3/4 cup red currant jelly
- 4 pt blueberries (2 1/2 lb)
- Garnish: confectioners sugar
- Special Equipment
- parchment paper and a large flat board (at least 20 inches square) for serving
- Prepare and bake pastry in 4 quadrants:
- Stir together yolks and 2 tablespoons water for egg wash. Put a baking sheet in freezer.
- Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a 12-inch square of parchment and brush all over with egg wash. Prick entire surface evenly with a fork.
- Unfold a second pastry sheet on a cutting board and cut out a 1 1/4-inch-wide right-angle strip along 2 adjacent edges with a sharp small knife, reserving remaining square for another use. Place right angle on 1 corner on top of 2 adjacent edges of pricked pastry to form first quadrant of tart. Transfer pastry on parchment to baking sheet in freezer and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer pastry on parchment from freezer to cutting board and trim a 1/4-inch-wide strip from all 4 edges using tip of small knife and a ruler and cutting all the way through pastry. Make 1/4-inch-long vertical cuts through double layers of edge about 1/2 inch apart (to help sides rise evenly).
- Return pastry on parchment to baking sheet in freezer and chill until firm but not solid, about 10 minutes more.
- Preheat oven to 450°F and heat another baking sheet on lowest rack in oven until hot, about 2 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer pastry on parchment from freezer to hot sheet. Bake pastry on lowest rack of oven until puffed and deep golden brown (a little darker than usual so double edges are cooked through), 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer pastry on parchment to a rack to cool.
- Repeat procedure with remaining 3 packages puff pastry to make remaining 3 quadrants of tart.
- Make ginger cream:
- Blend cream cheese and granulated sugar in a food processor until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Add ginger and pulse until finely chopped and mixture is combined well.
- Prepare fruit and assemble tart:
- If very puffed, gently flatten inner parts of pastry (single layer) slightly with your palm. Fit quadrants together on flat board to form a giant square tart shell, trimming inside edges of each quadrant slightly with a serrated knife to help quadrants fit together smoothly. "Glue" inner edges together with a little ginger cream, then spread remaining ginger cream evenly over tart, leaving double edges as a border.
- Arrange strawberries in a decorative pattern over cream. Bring jelly to a boil with remaining 2 tablespoons water, whisking until smooth, then simmer glaze 1 minute. Toss three fourths of glaze with blueberries in a large bowl and spoon blueberries onto tart to cover cream between strawberries, mounding slightly. Brush strawberries with remaining glaze.
Cooks' notes:
·All 4 quadrants of pastry can be prepared (but not baked) 1 day ahead and stacked in freezer between sheets of parchment paper. Let each section stand at room temperature until no longer frozen solid but still firm, about 5 minutes, before baking.
·Ginger cream can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
·Assembled tart can be kept at cool room temperature 3 hours before serving.
·Ginger cream can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
·Assembled tart can be kept at cool room temperature 3 hours before serving.


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Why They Do It
Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism
Making Sense of Suicide Missions
Suicide Bombers: Allah's New Martyrs
Perfect Soldiers: The Hijackers—Who They Were, Why They Did It
The Road to Martyrs' Square:A Journey into the Worldof the Suicide Bomber
Suicide Terrorism
Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror
On a clear hot day near the end of October 2003, I was finishing breakfast in my Baghdad hotel room when the distant thud of an immense explosion shivered the windows. In Iraq we had long since become accustomed to sporadic attacks of various kinds, but it soon became apparent that this was something new. The next blast, equally huge, came around fifteen minutes later, while we were running down to our car. Another followed soon after that, as we were heading downtown; and then another. Whatever was going on, it was definitely big. As we neared the center of the city we could see a plume of smoke rising into the sky. We stopped to ask passersby and policemen what had happened. "They hit the Red Cross," someone told us. That had been the first explosion. Subsequent attacks, it seemed, were targeting police stations all around the city. And it wasn't over yet.
By the time we reached the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the police and rescue services had cordoned off the site, but they couldn't hide the devastation. The front of the building had evaporated into a blackened muddle of bricks and concrete. The burned-out hulks of cars lined the street. One bystander told us that you could still see the incinerated bodies of their occupants sitting upright inside. The smell of burning rubber and charred metal made our eyes water. It was a sweltering day to begin with, but the added heat of the lingering fire made everything around us shimmer.
We began to query onlookers. One man in his twenties, a member of an Iraqi aid organization, had just finished a meeting with a friend in the building. As he was driving away, he was jolted by the blast. "There was an enormous boom and suddenly all this gravel was raining down on my car," he told me. "The car bounced up and down." The fate of the friend was unknown, but it was safe to assume that he was dead. Other witnesses told us that the attacker had driven into the entrance of the compound in an ambulance, wearing the uniform of a paramedic. He had blown himself up with the car.
By the time it was all over we would realize that we had witnessed one of the bloodiest days in Baghdad since the beginning of the US occupation. Dozens were dead, hundreds wounded, all Iraqis except for one American soldier. The day's campaign had been a masterpiece of coordination: the six attacks had taken place within a little more than an hour. In addition to the Red Cross, five police stations had been targeted. In one case the police, warned by their colleagues, had opened fire as the would-be bomber sped toward them in an SUV, throwing grenades as he went. The defenders had managed to immobilize the car and capture the bomber. He turned out to be a Syrian, who cursed his captors for collaborating with…
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I was recently asked "Do you know when to decide between going for more RAM or more servers?" (in the context of scaling data mining applications).
I had no idea, so what are some ways to decide? I have very little knowledge of architecture and scaling (my understanding of computer memory and what a server does is limited to the high-level basics), so tips on learning more about these things in general are also very welcome.


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'White Christmas' Mini Photo Sessions in Swansea based photography studio. A limited number of photo sessions are available so book early! Msg or call now 07972585506. Photo session fee is only £55 and that includes a portrait, digital file, and … Continue reading
Tag Archives: mother
Family photography | Swansea, South Wales
It's that time of year when the word 'Christmas' is back in the air. My children yesterday put on the Christmas songs and cinnamon smell candles! It's totally in the air.
And it's that time of the year when you have to think about the tradition of taking your family pictures every year. So you can record how children are growing and everyone are changing.
If you are planning to come to me for a family photo shoot for Christmas gifts than it's the best time to book your space as the photo shoots are limited and you definitely don't want to leave it for the last minute.
Family photos are great as framed portraits to give to the grandparents and greeting cards to send to all your relatives and friends, and have a beautiful piece of art on your wall. Just as a reminder for children and yourself that you always belong here, in this FAMILY, whatever happens.
Headshot photography | Swansea, South Wales
Couple days ago I got an inquiry for a headshot photo shoot. It sounded urgent, as the headshot had to be uploaded somewhere 'yesterday'! I can't turn back the time but I can accept urgent photo shoots. So, Cris came … Continue reading
Portrait Photography Studio| Swansea, South Wales
I'm so glad I have this beautiful photography studio in Swansea city centre.
On the day this family came for a photo shoot, it was raining. Just like it does on the most of the days here in Wales. I used to photograph on location only when I started. But now I'm so lucky to have this amazing place where I can welcome families as big as there is (the biggest group I had in my studio was 14!), sun or rain.
This beautiful family gathered together for Jonathan's graduation ceremony. He just finished studies at Swansea University and now is ready for the new chapter in his life.
That's an important reason to celebrate. Every achievement is worth celebrating. And it's best to celebrate with a portrait.
This family ordered a book with all the pictures from the photo shoot. What a keepsake to keep!
While I was photographing the graduate, his mum was having a full makeover here at the studio.
Then all joined in for a family portrait which I'm sure will become their family heirloom.
Did someone say Christmas?! | Family photography | Swansea, South Wales
15 Weeks until Christmas!
That means Christmas photo season is almost upon us! Are you ready?
Family portraits can be taken at our studio or on location, or to make it even more personal it can be done at your house!
Beat the Christmas rush and get them done now!
Msg or call to book 07972585506 www.rasamombeini.com
Newborn Photography | Swansea, South Wales
That's where the Story starts… And the beginning of the Story is so short that if you'll not capture it the memories will be gone forever.
Call to book a photo session 07972 585506 | firstname.lastname@example.com
Children / Family Lifestyle Photo Sessions | Swansea, South Wales
This month I'm offering Free Mini Film with every Lifestyle photo session booked in August 2017. Lifestyle photo sessions are the best way to capture true spirit of your children in the surrounding where they feel relaxed, real kids and happy. No pressure just be yourself!
Photo sessions can be at your own house. Children's rooms, their favourite toys, their hobbies, their secret hiding places… so many stories to tell. Don't miss this opportunity as children grow up so fast and what you think you'll remember for ever – you don't unless you will capture it in the photographs, timeless books and video.
Call/text now to book your photo session 07972 585506, 01792 447550.
Girls makeover photo shoot by Rasa Mombeini Photography | Swansea, South Wales
It was a real pleasure to photograph these amazing girls earlier in our photography studio. Their mum ordered a photo session to get a beautiful framed portrait as a gift to the grandmother. That's the best birthday gift any grandparents would wish for.
For me photography is all about celebrating life and people that we love.
Girl's hair styled by talented Kelly at Make Me Over
Photography by Rasa at Rasa Mombeini Photography
Family photo session, Swansea photography studio | Rasa Mombeini
This beautiful family came in for a photo shoot 5 years ago, this time they came to renew the family portrait. The little boy then, became a young and strong man. It's not too late to have your family portrait taken. … Continue reading
Your Uni Years
Celebrate your Uni years! Beautiful portraits are the best gift you can give to yourself or someone you love, as in few years they will be priceless. They will become one of the most treasured things you own. Why wait? … Continue reading


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Compare cheap flights to Prague
When is the cheapest time to fly to Prague?
What to do in Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of Czech Republic. It is home to historic buildings, fantastic museums, exciting shopping scenes, as well as gorgeous scenery from both man and nature. No wonder Prague is always a top tourist destination in Europe. So join millions of other travellers and discover the city's charms.
Start your trip in the city with a visit to the biggest ancient castle in the world, the dreamlike Prague Castle and its breathtaking views over the city. Stop by St Vitus Cathedral and the magnificent Castle Picture Gallery while you're there. Don't forget to snap a photo of the royal guards' changeover every hour.
After that, cross the iconic Charles Bridge on your way to the historic Old Town. Here, you can see the famous Astronomical Clock, the gothic Tyn Church, the Jan Hus monument, and the gorgeous Estate Theatre.
Explore New Town next and spend some of your Czech Koruna in the shops at Wenceslas Square. Spend some time in Prague's National Museum. Then bring your camera to the colourful Jubilee Synagogue.
Browse through Prague's other amazing museums and galleries, like the Czech National Gallery, Prague City Gallery, Jewish Museum, and Prague City Museum. Are you feeling parched and peckish right about now? Here's a chef's guide to eating and drinking in Prague.
If you schedule your trip during the Christmas season, you can experience shopping in Prague's Christmas Markets. The city also hosts some great events like the Ball Season from January to March, Witches' Night Festival in April, and the celebration of classical music in May at Prague Spring.
Start planning your trip to Prague! Just get your suitcase now, and get travel tips and ideas with this handy Prague travel guide.
When to visit Prague
The best time to visit Prague is during spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November). Enjoy fewer tourists in spring, when it's pleasantly cold. Autumn is also a great season to avoid the crowds and explore the city. Book your flights for October and enjoy cheaper airfare, because it's the cheapest time to fly to Prague.
Now get packing, because you and other Australians can fly to Czech Republic and travel to Prague visa-free for up to 90 days. Don't forget to visit Smartraveller too for more info.
Travelling to and around Prague
You'll be flying in to Vaclav Havel Airport Prague, and from there you can take the bus, airport express bus, taxi, private car, or your hotel shuttle to reach the city. Follow your wanderlust around Prague by riding a taxi, shuttle minibus, bus, train, tram, and ferry.
Now go book your Prague flights with Skiddoo today and cross off Prague from your travel Czech list!
Temperature average in August
Rainfall average in August
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Cheapest time to fly to Prague (PRG)
All prices refer to return flights to Prague and include taxes and charges.
Our experiences customer support team is there to help you every step of the way.
With the Skiddoo Price Promise, if you find a cheaper price online we'll match it!


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Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.Classified ads are not allowed on the forum.
You may have submitted it before, and we missed it. Sorry about that. We will add it. Data on EARLY cars is the most important for what we are trying to determine.


text: Microscope photography gives us incredible views of everyday objects, exotic species and even ourselves that we would never be aware of on our own. But add movement to these images, and they come alive in amazing, beautiful and sometimes creepy ways. Last year, Nikon added a video competition to its decades-old microscope photography contest. The best movies this year are even more incredible. The topics range from the sperm of two males competing to a beating heart to the growth of a brain. Here are all the winners. Above: 1st Place: Sensing Danger Olena Kamenyeva, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland Subject: Recruitment of neutrophils to the site of laser damage in mouse inguinal lymph node Technique: 2-Photon This video shows the immune response in the lymph node of a mouse, when activated by a laser. Specifically, it shows an efficient innate immune reaction in the lymph node, which typically has been studied for the development of adaptive immune response.2nd Place: Sperm From Two Males Competing Stefan Lüpold, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York Subject: Sperm from two males competing within reproductive tract of a female fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) Magnification: 400x Technique: Fluorescence Sperm of two different males (green and red) competing within the female reproductive tract of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Competition between sperm is a widespread phenomenon throughout the animal kingdom and a powerful evolutionary force driving species diversity. However, it has been nearly impossible to study the fundamental biological processes associated with such sperm competition, occurring whenever sperm from different males mix inside of females. The very recent development of genetically modified fruit flies that produce sperm with either green- or red-fluorescent heads (as seen in the movie) is now allowing us to answer important biological questions.3rd Place: Growing Complexity in the Kidney Nils Lindstrom, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom Subject: Complexity of ureteric bud branching and nephron formation Technique: Time-lapse, inverted fluorescent microscope, organ culture, transgenic mouse reporter lines Illustrating the development of live kidney cells, specifically a metanephric kidney that has been cultured in vitro and imaged over 4 days. The fluorescence originates from a conditional YFP reporter, which is only activated in cells expressing Pax8. The fluorescent cells belong to the ureteric bud (the tree), the induced nephron progenitors cell (cells around the tree tips) and nephrons that are forming (the shapes forming within the tree). The YFP signal is viewed using a heat-map that has been overlaid onto the bright-field channel.Honorable Mention: Flowing Liquid Crystal Oleg Lavrentovich, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio Subject: A flowing liquid crystal, powered by weak gradients of molecular orientation and temperature Technique: Polarized Light This entry shows the fluid dynamics of liquid crystals. It is accompanied by changing colors resulting from shifts in the molecular orientation of the flowing liquid. Liquid crystals are now popular in TVs, laptops and other electronics.Honorable Mention: Broodstock Bay Scallop Opening Up Kathryn Markey, Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island Subject: Broodstock Bay Scallop Argopecten irradians opening up to take a look around and feed Magnification: 0.63x Technique: Stereomicroscopy Bay Scallop, Argopecten irradians used for Broodstock in the Luther H. Blount Shellfish Hatchery. You can see the scallop's intense blue eyes lining the mantle edges on the top and bottom valves. They are used to see light and shadows of encroaching predators allowing the scallop to swim away as needed. You can also see the scallop filtering the water over its gills as the particles in the water (live algae) are actively directed into the animal. This animal was removed from its tank and placed in a container of seawater and allowed to open up. It was then put back into its tank alive after the video was taken, to be part of the spawning population.Honorable Mention: Action of the Heart Michael Weber, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany Subject: Beating heart of a living 2-day-old Danio rerio (zebrafish) Magnification: 20x Technique: Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) The heart muscle cells of this transgenic fish expresses GCaMP, a genetically encoded fluorescent calcium indicator. Visible is the wave of cardiac conduction, traveling over the heart from atrium (bottom) to ventricle (top left). The heart has a size of about 250 um and beats at a rate of about two times per second. It was imaged in 3D inside the living zebrafish using Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) (Huisken et al. 2004).Honorable Mention: The Rotifer Limnias melicerta Fengzhu Xiong, Micropolitan Museum Rotterdam, The Netherlands Subject: Limnias melicerta (a rotifer) Magnification: 400x Technique: Differential Interference Contrast This microanimal lives in a self-built tube attached to waterplants. We see the rotifer using fast moving cilia to create a vortex. This enables it to sweep in food particles like algae. Inside the organism we can also see a jaw-like structures that grind the food.Honorable Mention: CAR Fish Fibroblast Maria Nemethova, IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology GmbH, Vienna, Austria Subject: CAR fish fibroblast transfected with mCherry-Actin and GFP-Vasp Magnification: 100x Technique: Epifluorescence This video illustrates the polymerization of actin, a protein which drives cell movements. Actin acts like the "scaffold" of a cell, so understanding how it forms is important is to basic cellular research and can help answer further questions on how cells form.Honorable Mention: Microtubule Asters Recapitulated in a Model Cytoplasm Phuong Anh Nguyen, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts Subject: Time lapse movie of microtubule asters growing in a thin layer of interphase Xenopus (frog) egg extract Magnification: 10x Technique: Widefield Fluorescence Microscopy This movie shows the growth, interaction, and movement of microtubule asters (in green) in Xenopus (frog) egg cytoplasm, following exit from metaphase (cell division). Asters grown in a thin layer of cytoplasm between two glass coverslips recapitulates the behavior of asters in early dividing live embryos during anaphase/telophase/cytokinesis. Where asters meet, cytokinesis proteins such as the chromosomal passenger complex (visualized using a fluorescently labeled antibody against a CPC component, shown in red) are recruited. This establishes a boundary between the two asters, and marks the position of the putative cleavage furrow.Honorable Mention: Ciliates Feeding on a Bacterial Biofilm Andrew Dopheide, University of Auckland, New Zealand Subject: Tetrahymena sp. (ciliate) feeding on a biofilm composed of the bacterium Serratia plymuthica, which is expressing a red fluorescent protein Magnification: 400x Technique: Confocal This video shows Tetrahymena sp. (common freshwater protozoa) cells feeding on a biofilm composed of freshwater bacterium Serratia plymuthica. The bacterial cells and biofilm structures are visible due to expression by the bacteria of a red fluorescent protein. Tetrahymena sp. cells are visible as rapidly-moving clusters of intracellular feeding vacuoles packed with red-fluorescing bacterial cells. The focal plane of the video moves down with each successive frame, revealing the effect of Tetrahymena sp. feeding activity on bacterial biofilm morphology as ciliate-sized channels and holes throughout the biofilm.Honorable Mention: Arabidopsis endosomes Daniel von Wangenheim, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany Subject: Fast moving endosomes in Arabidopsis thaliana root cells Magnification: 63x Technique: Light Sheet-based Fluorescence Microscopy A sheet of light is used to illuminate the plant (Arabidopsis thaliana), from the side while collecting the emitted light at a perpendicular axis. The plant grows in an upright position in the microscope's specimen chamber. While the leaves remain in the air, the root system is perfused with liquid medium. and root stably expresses the early endosome/exosome marker 35S::GFP-RabA1d. The quick endosomes move with up to 10 µm/s, which presents a serious imaging challenge. This technique allows new insides in the dynamics of endosomal compartments in plant cells. The Arabidopsis line was kindly provided by Tobias Berson and Jozef Samaj.Honorable Mention: The Making of the Brain Fengzhu Xiong, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts Subject: Imaging of the formation of the anterior hindbrain from a flat sheet of neural plate cells in a zebrafish embryo Magnification: 400x Technique: Confocal Timelapse The video demonstrates the formation of the anterior hindbrain from a flat sheet of neural plate cells in a zebrafish embryo. In particular, we view the patterns of the nervous system, which are important for understanding human disease. Membrane and nuclear fluorescent proteins were used to label the cells.Honorable Mention: Onion Bulb Scale Epidermis Heiti Paves, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia Subject: Movement of organelles in plant cells (onion bulb scale epidermis) Magnification: 20x Technique: Differential Interference Contrast This video captures the continuous movement of organelles in plant cells without any obvious reason, captured with a laser scanning confocal microscope with a regular SLR camera to get enough speed.All videos and captions courtesy of Nikon Small World


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Cheap Buzz: Dave and Buster's
You've been to Dave and Buster's, right? That PG-rated spot for adults that promises fun for the whole family? Though they're effectively an adult Chuckie Cheese, Dave and Buster's takes a page from the Vegas playbook: they serve booze. I headed to the closest D&B's to see how the cocktails fared.
Typically, the chain restaurants that I visit serve up watered down punches full of sugar and artificial coloring. They don't have bitters, they don't muddle much, and they count on America wanting a sweet, diluted elixir to make a little bit of hooch go down.
But the drinks at Dave and Buster's stand out a bit from the pack: first of all, they're mighty strong.
The TNTea, a mixture of Absolut vodka, Tanqueray gin, Bacardi Rum, Grand Marnier, with sweet and sour mix and Coca-Cola may sound like a nightmare, but this intensely boozy concoction was actually not as insanely sweet as I feared. It's not my new go-to order or anything, but it was better than I expected, like a Coke Lemon with a sailor-approved amount of alcohol. Drinkability: Sure, if you're raring to start your bender off aggressively. The sweetness hides the heavy pour.
Their Perfect Patron Margarita was refreshingly tart but overly salted. Though the booze is Patron Silver Tequila and Patron Citronge, it's dominated by what tastes like any old generic fraternity-party margarita mix. It's a pretty strong cocktail, but it doesn't beat the Applebee's version. Drinkability: Meh.
What if you step away from the sour mix and order a grown up drink? I tried a Grey Goose Martini to see how it compared to the one at Ruby Tuesday, my all-time #1 Cheap Buzz spot. The Dave and Buster's version was strong, but it failed on the vermouth front. Hey Buster! Hey Dave! Bad vermouth is what makes people hate martinis! Drinkability: Not awful, but not quite Ruby-level.
If you see a drink called a "Walk the Plank", you have to order it, and not just because you've already seen the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie twice. Made with Captain Morgan spiced rum, Malibu coconut rum, peach schnapps, and a slew of fruit juices, it was pink and sweet, but not offensively so. Drinkability: Tastes like a vacation. And I like vacations!
What's New On Serious Eats
The Snow Cone starts with Watermelon Pucker, Malibu coconut rum, cherry vodka, blue curacao, and Sprite, plus pomegranate syrup. With all of the sweet syrup, it tastes like a boozy Slush Puppie, in a good way. You know how sometimes a popsicle just tastes purple? This tasted blue. Drinkability: Dangerously drinkable. If you find yourself with a brainfreeze, slow down.
One warning: no matter how much you like the name, don't order The Shizzle. It's a bit of Malibu Coconut and some Malibu Pineapple, plus Stolichnaya Vanil and pineapple juice. I expected it to be an island-style sugarfest. Instead, it tasted like sucralose mixed with aluminum foil. Drinkability: Terrible.
My head was spinning by the time I reached the Lynchburg Lemonade. But this drink doesn't take much higher-level thinking: it's a pretty straightforward Jack Daniels and lemonade mix (mostly Jack Daniels, to be honest.) Drinkability: Recommended.
I'll admit it. My enthusiasm about the drinkability of Dave and Buster's cocktails steadily increased in parallel with my BAC. These drinks are first and foremost vehicles for loads of alcohol. At $10-13 apiece at my local branch, they cost basically the same as weaker drinks at the other big chains (these are NYC prices, they're probably cheaper near you). So if you're looking for strong drinks, these will get the job done.
In casinos, they give you free drinks so that you get loopy and bet $100 on Red 32. Dave and Buster's isn't much different—they pour it heavy so you keep pouring money into those games.


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AT&T Interactive
AT&T Interactive creates leading local search products that encourage consumers to discover and engage with local businesses across the YP(SM) Local Ad Network. The network helps advertisers and publishers grow their business by distributing ads across over 300 sites and apps, including YP.com and the YPmobile suite of products. The YP(SM) Developer Program, powered by AT&T Interactive, provides app developers free access to local data from over 18 million businesses through the Places API. Learn more by visiting our exhibit booth at the 2012 Where Conference.
Control Group
Control Group improves the technology user-experience from infrastructure to interface. By integrating product development and user experience design with our enterprise consulting and IT management expertise, we deliver solutions that power and enable businesses. Our expertise includes rich internet and mobile applications, interactive sensor-driven products, complex wireless networks, cloud-based systems, and IT management.
Esri's geographic information systems and data gives you the power to think and plan geographically. GIS is used in more than 350,000 organizations worldwide. It helps cities, governments, universities, and Fortune 500 companies save money, lives, and our environment. Whether discovering new markets, streamlining supply chains, efficiently managing assets, or setting alternative energy projects, these organizations use GIS to collect, and analyze geographic information, which helps them discover relationships, patterns, and trends. They solve problems and make better decisions because they are looking at their data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared.
Facebook is a social utility that helps over 500 million people around the world communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and coworkers. The site has been built on common open source software such as Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP and over the past few years, the company has developed a number of open source infrastructure technologies to support the site's growth including HipHop for PHP, Cassandra, Hive, Scribe, and Thrift. Facebook engineers actively contribute and participate in various open source projects especially around the Apache Hadoop ecosystem, developing technologies that facilitate the sharing of information through the social graph.
Google Maps and Earth offer powerful, user-friendly mapping technology and local business information in the context of satellite imagery, street level imagery, and user-contributed content. There have been over 700 million unique downloads of Google Earth since the product's launch at Where 2.0 in June, 2005. Google Earth can be downloaded for free at http://earth.google.com/. Google Maps is the most popular online mapping site in the U.S. and worldwide, and can be accessed at http://maps.google.com.
Localeze, a Neustar service, is the trusted business listings identity manager for local search maintaining direct, authorized relationships with nearly 150 local search platforms, national and regional brands, channel partners and local businesses. Localeze provides businesses tools to verify, manage and enhance the identity of their online local listings.
MapQuest reaches nearly 1 in 6 Internet users and nearly 25 percent of all mobile map users. The new MapQuest Vibe is your "Shortcut to becoming a local," making local discovery, sematic search and merchant deals accessible in your town...or anywhere in the U.S.
The new MyCityWay app is more urban-tastic, more city-riffic, and more metro-licious than ever before. It's a totally intuitive, highly customizable real time app designed to transform your hand held device into a mega-utility tool for navigating the urban scene like never before.
Nokia, Location & Commerce
Location & Commerce is a Nokia business unit established to build and monetize location experiences for mobile products, the navigation industry and the automotive market. A focus on Content (location data), Social Location Services (Platform, Apps), and Local Commerce aims to complement hardware, software and services with "smart" location data.
Socrata develops and operates a socially-connected cloud services platform that enables public sector organizations to expand citizen access to information, improve data sharing, and modernize online service delivery. The Socrata Social Data Cloud™ optimizes the capture-to-consumption lifecycle for different types of data-transactional, statistical, geospatial, and real-time-through simultaneous interfaces including web, social, mobile and APIs. More information on www.socrata.com.
Urban Airship
Urban Airship makes mobile apps engaging, effective, efficient, scalable and profitable. Developers turn to Urban Airship to layer on push notification, in-app purchase, subscription, and quantitative data-tracking services. With Urban Airship, sending messages to multiple platforms is as easy as dropping in one drop-in library for real-time communication with iOS, Android, and Blackberry users. urbanairship.com
For sponsorship information, contact Gloria Lombardo at (203) 381-9245 or email@example.com.
For information on exhibition and sponsorship opportunities at the conference, contact Gloria Lombardo at firstname.lastname@example.com
For media partnerships, contact mediapartners@ oreilly.com
For media-related inquiries, contact Maureen Jennings at email@example.com
View a complete list of Where Conference contacts


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A major bank in the Pacific region has recommended that Fiji put the brakes on civil servants wage increases as a major step towards bringing the national budget back to balance in the medium to long term.
In its Pacific Economic Outlook for Fiji released today, the ANZ Bank offers an independent analysis on the Fijian economy, highlighting some weak areas that the Fijian government could look into.
Fiji's total national debt and the need to bring the national budget back to balance were among the areas that needed attention.
"Since 1992, the government of the day has run a budget deficit in all but two years (1998 and 2008). As a result, the nominal outstanding debt level has climbed. Although this is not the time for austerity, we would advocate that the budget be brought back towards balance over the medium to long term, especially as the interest cost is likely to increase when the interest rates rise," the report said.
"History suggests that expenditure close to 30 per cent of GDP generally yield the smallest budget deficit. With payments as a proportion of GDP estimated at 39 per cent for the 2017/18 financial year, our view is that expenditure needs to be cut by around 1.5 per cent a year, in order to wind it back to around 30 per cent of GDP over the next five years. This includes showing restraint on public sector wage increases. Public sector employees have received large double digit wage increases in recent years. We understand that budgets have to balance commitments, deficit implications for credit ratings along with political consequences. However, even allowing for some catch ups in wage increases, the hefty wage increases recently awarded appear excessive. The public sector wages bill now accounts for nearly a third of total expenditure from just over 23 per cent in 2011," the report said.
In the last few years, civil servants have called for what they believed was a long overdue rise in salaries and in response, government undertook a pay review exercise last year followed by pay increases in various ministries.
Now with the civil service wage bill accounting for almost a third of government expenses, the ANZ is cautioning the policy makers to go slow with the pay rises.
"We're not saying that the wages should be cut back. We're saying that there should be some restraint in wages growth because wages growth has escalated over the last two, three years," ANZ International's Pacific Economist and author of the report Kishti Sen told Islands Business.
"I agree that there should be some catch up payment to the public servants because they actually haven't had enough increases to compensate for cost of living. But going forward, we're not saying this is something they need to do over the next two years; austerity is not something that the economy needs at the moment, the government has to continue to do some of the capex projects in order to keep people in employment. What we're saying is over the medium to long term, it's necessary for any government, or even a household, to not continue to spend more money than they bring in. You have to have a plan to bring your budget back towards balance. And we think that expenses at around 30 per cent of GDP gives you some sort of a balance of your budget so over the long term, that's something that government could think about," Sen said.
On Fiji's debt level, the ANZ Bank noted that total public debt stood at F$4.85 billion (US$2.32billion) in 2017 - a new high but its serviceability was still manageable, considering that the debt to GDP ratio of the current debt cycle was still lower than Fiji's debt peak in the mid-1990s.
SIX months after successfully expanding its business to Solomon Islands, the European bank-BRED Bank- will open a second branch in Honiara by the end of the year and a third branch in the provinces in the next 24 months. BRED Bank CEO in Solomon Islands, Owen Thomson, told Islands Business they would now focused on improving the quality of their services by implementing mobile banking through Mobile Application and USSD – banking through text messaging "This is very important for us to deliver banking service to everyone as most of the population live in remote rural areas with no banking access," Owen said.
He said they would work with NGOs and government agencies to promote saving groups and financial knowledge for the people in Solomons. With the successful establishment of operations throughout the Pacific (Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia and French Polynesia), the BRED Group began operation in Solomon Islands in August last year with one staff member. By opening day, it has installed eight ATMs and opened over 830 accounts.
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By Mereseini Marau-Totoka
Growing up in a settlement just on the outskirts of Fiji's capital Suva, the newly appointed Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji Esala Masitabua saw the 18-storey building located on Pratt Street in the city being built.
Little did he know that the same magnificent building he witnessed starting to take shape from its foundation to the roof- the Reserve Bank of Fiji- would be his work place for most part of his career life.
Taking up his new post as Deputy Government of Fiji's central bank in the New Year, Masitabua was reflective and humbled as he looked back in his life journey and how he had fared thus far.
He also shared his plans for the central bank.
Life in that Nauluvatu Settlement along Suva's Reservoir Road was not easy for him and three siblings of two sisters and a younger brother.
He attributed his achievements to the extreme hard work of his police constable dad originally from Wailevu in Ravitaki, Kadavu and his mum a seamstress from Vava'u in Tonga.
"Life was tough and living conditions initially squalid but my parents worked extremely hard to improve our quality of life. They also instilled in us children the value of hard work, being honest and knowing the Lord. We are so grateful for their sacrifices. My dad was a special constable and security officer at Burns Philp and mum was seamstress at Tiki Togs."
They both earned near minimum wages. He reminisced that when business got tough, his parents would work reduced hours forcing them to struggle to make ends meet. The struggles included going to bed hungry, walking in the rain to go to school, patching school bags and sandals until his parents could afford to buy new ones.
After he completed his secondary education at Marist Brothers High School in 1988, he wanted to work and earn his own money because he wanted to "have the autonomy to buy and enjoy the things I could not have growing up." His dream of becoming a pilot was put on hold indefinitely.
"Working for Fiji's own commercial bank appealed to me, I applied successfully and worked there until I decided to further my education in 1991."
In 1994, Masitabua returned to the National Bank of Fiji and three years later the bank collapsed. Following the bank restructure, where he was part of the asset management team, he resigned and became part of the unemployment statistics for a while. In 1997 he came across a vacancy advertisement in the newspaper for a Clerical Officer Ledgers in the Reserve Bank of Fiji. He joined in July 1997 as a ledgers officer just when the Bank celebrated its 25th Anniversary. That was the birth of his career as a central banker.
Central banking
"I may not have initially aspired to be a central banker but when I joined the Reserve Bank in Fiji in 1997 I truly felt that I had found my calling in life."
Masitabua worked his way up the ladder in Reserve Bank before becoming the Chief Manager Financial Markets in 2013. Like in any other career, Masitabua said there were challenges and obstacles along the way but he have been blessed with a loving wife Omeri Ravula and family to support him, as well as friends and workmates.
"I have enjoyed the past two decades immensely benefitting from specialised training and exposure and I look forward to the new chapter. The accumulation of development and experience I have had in the Bank will be put to good use in this new role."
His plan as second- in- charge at RBF is simple.
"I need to continue to build on the legacies of my capable predecessors which include the current Governor. Like any other leader I will bring my own personal style of leadership and I look forward to continuing to grow and develop as I hope I will be able to contribute to the development of others I come into contact with."
He shares that the central bank has a strategic plan in place that provides a guide for all facets of their annual work plans linking up to the mission and vision of leading Fiji to economic success. Acknowledging that the exciting and challenging part of working at the bank is that while the mandate of the Reserve Bank of Fiji is constant, the environment and circumstances change constantly. In his new role Masitabua will play a supportive role to the Governor with key areas of defined responsibilities.
"We will be grappling with similar but nuanced challenges compared to my predecessors."
An example he offered is what he labels the 'period of recent unprecedented economic growth' the country is experiencing.
"This is extremely positive but does introduce a whole new set of challenges compared to the period when the challenge was to stimulate or kick start the economy like that faced in the early then late 2000s. "
He said past Governors would have dealt with changing technologies and demographics of the labour force, those broad challenges remain but are slightly different now.
"With the increasingly younger and relatively more transient workforce, there are adjustments that need to be made to policies, processes and in my view, leadership styles. Likewise technological innovation is presenting opportunities as well as challenges for all including central banks."
Up to the Challenge
"I can assure the people of the country that I am excited, keen to embrace the challenges of the new role and ready to give it my absolute all."
Masitabua reminisced on one of his favourite memories back in the early 2000s where he and a team from the bank led by the then Deputy Governor who later became Governor Sada Reddy went to donate computers to Wainiyavu Village School in the upper reaches of Namosi on Fiji's main island.
He recalled boarding the punt from just past Navua Town up the Navua River to Namuamua Village where they had to get off and walk the rest of the way to Wainiyavu, traversing difficult terrain. After zig zagging and crossing a tributary 23 times over two and half hours, they finally reached their destination.
Marvelled at the natural surroundings and waterfalls, they never thought working for a central bank would take them to such a place. It was the joy on the faces of the students, teachers and parents that was the consolation for that difficult trip.
"I could not help thinking that one of those little children would perhaps be a future Governor, or Minister or Prime Minister."
Masitabua said his work at the Reserve Bank has taken him to countries abroad as well as over Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, his home island of Kadavu, Taveuni and other maritime islands. From his humble beginning, Masitabua knew there was no substitute for honesty and hard work.
His advise to youth is to listen to their parents and elders.
"Whatever task you are called to do, do it to the best of your ability, and take no short cuts. We cannot all be executives, general managers, doctors or pilots but we can all be successful and be an inspiration to others in whatever we do."
The level of Marshall Islands' offshore loan debt is impressive—over US$120 million— for a country that had revenue of only US$107 million for the fiscal year 2011. The 13 loans the country obtained from the Asian Development Bank have left it owing over US$73 million, while state-owned enterprises (SOE) owed another US$50 million, mostly to a U.S. government lending agency. The annual loan payment due to ADB is increasing each year and will peak at US$3,548,289 in FY2016. Coupled with the SOE debt, the government is shelling out around US$7.5 million annually for debt servicing on top of subsidizing nearly all of its SOEs.
Barring any new loans, ADB debt is due to be cleared by FY2037. Soaring fuel prices in the late 2000s pushed the government's power utility company into near bankruptcy, forcing it to secure a high-interest loan to pay for fuel. The loan nearly crippled the SOE. The power utility gained support of the ADB as the company launched a recovery plan in 2010. ADB lent funds to the government to pay off the higher interest commercial bank loan to give the Marshalls Energy Company financial breathing room.
While some of the country's long-term debts to ADB are from loans that were poorly planned or should not have been issued in the first place, the power utility loan has been a key factor in the company's resurrection as a functioning entity. In part because the utility company is pursuing an aggressive improvement plan, it was able to negotiate a two-year loan payment deferment with the U.S. Rural Utilities Services, relieving it of having to pay US$2.2 million and gained a US$2.3 million grant from the same U.S. agency to rebuild one of its large power plant engines, which will, when completed, reduce costs by cutting the amount of diesel consumed and further stabilize power service.
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Two months ago, sitting over a bottle of toddy, an offshore source sums up industry insider forecasts: "They know the writing is on the wall." Overhead, coconut tree fronds rustle above us in brief summer breezes. One month ago, that breeze turned into a global gale force wind, history's biggest expose sweeping like a hurricane through tax havens around the planet. That expose triggered off rule changes of earthquake proportions for tax havens. "Seismic", reported the Guardian, an English daily. "Gigantesque" exclaimed La Libre, a French weekly. "A game changer", commented the Tax Justice Network. "...a virtual [Mount] Everest of data ..." said Die Spiegel, a German daily These were just a few of the tsunami of headlines from the news media around the world, delving into 2.5 million leaked files uncovering the hidden world of more than 100,000 people and companies.
Files came in the form of a hard drive posted to an Irish journalist working long-term in Australia, Gerard Ryle, who a few weeks later went on to head the ICIJ, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Immediate comparisons were made with Wikileaks, famed for publishing a quarter of a million diplomatic cables leaked from the US State Department. More recently, Wikileaks published thousands more files in what it called the Kissinger files. Wikileaks' cables show government secrets, including behind-the-scenes deals. ICIJ offshore files exposed people and companies behind corruption of those governments.
Those named as using the havens include powerful politicians, US dentists, Wall Street traders, Russian executives and international arms dealers. Estimates of offshore wealth hidden in tax havens and offshore banks go as high as US$32 trillion.
Many news headlines featured coconut tree logos, a visual signpost pointing towards what the French media describe as "fiscal paradises". Focus fell heavily on the role of the Cook Islands' offshore finance centre as the origins of a global network, Portcullis Trustnet.
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