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Red Wings send Coyotes to sixth straight loss
Glendale, AZ – Pavel Datsyuk scored the winner in the third period to lead the Detroit Red Wings in a 3-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday.
Johan Franzen and Ian White also scored while Niklas Kronwall added two assists for the Red Wings, who have won three straight and five of six. Jonas Gustavsson made 29 stops in the win.
"We're doing a lot of good things even though we don't score on each and every one, it definitely feels like we've got some things going," Datsyuk said.
Martin Hanzal and Rob Klinkhammer each scored for the Coyotes, who fell for a sixth-straight game. Jason LaBarbera gave up all three goals on 35 shots in the loss.
"All I can say is that we're finding ways to lose games right now," said Klinkhammer. "We're working hard, but that can only get you so far in this league. Not getting bounces, taking penalties at the wrong time...it's just not going our way right now."
With the score tied in the third, Detroit went ahead on the power play after Henrik Zetterberg took a feed from Datsyuk and went in down the left wing. Zetterberg skated around the net and sent it to the left side where it hit off a Coyote before Datsyuk gathered the puck and snapped it in at the 6:12 mark.
Gustavsson then made the lead hold up by making a pair of stops on Keith Yandle, and was called on later when Lauri Korpikoski was hauled down on a breakaway.
Skating on his first career penalty shot, Korpikoski opted for the wrist shot and Gustavsson made the save with 4:12 to play.
From there, he made the rest of his 10 stops in the period as Detroit held on for the win.
Detroit got the first goal of the game at the 4:01 mark of the first period on White's big blast from the high slot, but Phoenix answered four minutes later on the power play as Radim Vrbata's shot from the left point was re-directed in by Hanzal down low.
The Coyotes took a 2-1 lead at the 12:17 mark of the opening frame after Klinkhammer cleaned up a rebound at the right side for his third of the year.
The Red Wings, though, tied the game at the 19:21 mark of the second period after Kronwall's pass from the left boards to the slot was one-timed home by Franzen with traffic to the right of the net.
Game Notes
Detroit plays in San Jose on Thursday ... Phoenix starts a three-game road trip in Minnesota on Wednesday ... Detroit took three of four from Phoenix last season ... Detroit was 2-for-5 on the power play while Phoenix went 1- for-3.


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This Week On Movie Monday
Victorian Farm Episode 6
Victorian Farm is a historical documentary TV series in six parts, first shown on BBC Two in January 2009, it recreates everyday life on a small farm in Shropshire in the mid-19th century, using authentic replica equipment and clothing, original recipes and reconstructed building techniques.
These films are presented as an exception to the copyright act as fair dealing for the purpose of research, private study, education, parody or satire. See bill c-42 article 29.

subset: commoncrawl


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BRANDON — Want to get away without leaving Brandon? Lindy Brown has just the thing — reflexology.
This ancient art and science of manipulating the foot to stimulate different parts of the body and release tension has been around since ancient Egypt, and now it's here in Brandon. A former pharmacy technician and LPN, Brown apprenticed with Middlebury Reflexologist Katherine Windham after hearing her speak at a women's club meeting in her hometown of Orwell.


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On May 24, 1962, University of Colorado Boulder alumnus Scott Carpenter lifted off from Earth in NASA's Aurora 7 space capsule mounted atop a Mercury-Atlas rocket at Cape Canaveral, Fla., swiftly climbing to roughly 165 miles in altitude.
The NASA astronaut and his capsule were swept into Earth's orbit, eventually speeding around the planet at 17,000 miles per hour -- a velocity roughly equal to flying from New York to Nepal and back in under 60 minutes. Carpenter, who attended CU-Boulder from 1945 through 1949 in the aeronautical engineering department, made three orbits of Earth in roughly five hours before splashing down in the Atlantic.
Carpenter was the fourth American astronaut to fly in space, following Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom and John Glenn, and the second to achieve orbit around Earth behind Glenn. As one of the "Original Mercury 7" astronauts, Carpenter made an indelible mark on history with the flight of the Aurora 7 mission. He and his colleagues were celebrated in the Tom Wolfe book, "The Right Stuff," which told the story of early military test pilots as well as the original Mercury astronauts.
A half-century later, Carpenter looked back at his time in space. "That seems like a long time ago," said Carpenter, now 87 and living in Vail. "I still remember what a thrill it was being up there -- I liked the feeling of weightlessness, and the view I had of the Earth."
Carpenter will participate in two days of events May 23 and May 24 in New York City in honor of the 50th anniversary of NASA's Aurora 7 flight. The events, sponsored by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation created by the Mercury 7 astronauts "will be a great honor for me," said Carpenter. In February, Glenn and Carpenter -- the only two living Mercury astronauts -- attended a ceremony at Kennedy Space Center in Florida celebrating the 50th anniversary of the nation's first two orbital flights.
"Scott Carpenter is the epitome of all of the good things about the University of Colorado Boulder's leading role in probing the frontiers of space," said CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. "The 50th anniversary of his mission is a tribute to NASA's original Mercury 7 crew and to all of the NASA astronauts, including many associated with CU-Boulder, who have stood on their shoulders."
One of his most vivid memories during the Aurora 7 mission, Carpenter said, was his successful role as a sleuth. During Glenn's February 1962 orbiting mission, he reported seeing brightly lit particles swirling about outside the space capsule, which he dubbed "fireflies." The mysterious particles baffled not only Glenn, but also NASA engineers and scientists.
Carpenter observed the same type of fireflies outside the space capsule during the Aurora 7 flight. During the mission, he accidently banged on the capsule cabin wall, causing a swarm of the fireflies to appear through the window. Carpenter almost immediately identified them as tiny ice particles dislodged from the capsule's exterior shell, subsequently dubbing them harmless "frostflies." "I was particularly pleased that I was able to demystify John Glenn's 'fireflies,' " he said.
Born in Boulder on May 1, 1925, Carpenter grew up in a house at Seventh Street and Aurora Avenue, and graduated from Boulder High School in 1943. He then entered the Navy's V5 flight training program at CU-Boulder. He spent the next year training in California and Iowa, returning to Boulder in 1945 to study aeronautical engineering at CU for the next four years.
Carpenter was commissioned in the U.S. Navy in 1949 and flew a variety of missions during the Korean War. He attended Navy Test Pilot School in Maryland in 1954 and was assigned as an Air Intelligence Officer on the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. In April of 1959 he was selected by NASA to be an astronaut.
After serving as backup pilot for Glenn for America's first manned orbital space flight on Feb. 20, 1962, Carpenter got his own chance just three months later. At the end of the successful mission his space capsule landed in the Atlantic Ocean about 135 miles northeast of Puerto Rico. Soon after, he took congratulatory calls from President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon Johnson.
Although he was one course requirement short of graduating with a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering when he left CU in 1949, the university awarded him his degree in 1962 following the successful Aurora 7 flight. When presenting the degree to Carpenter, CU President Quigg Newton said "his subsequent training as an astronaut has more than made up for his deficiency in the subject of heat transfer."
In 1965 Carpenter took a leave of absence from NASA to participate in the Navy's Man-in-the-Sea Project as an "aquanaut" in the SEALAB II project off the coast of La Jolla, Calif., where he spent 30 days living and working on the ocean floor at a depth of more than 200 feet. While undersea he spoke by phone with astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad as they sailed overhead during their eight-day Gemini 5 mission.
Because of his groundbreaking deep-sea diving experiences with the Navy, Carpenter is hailed by many to be the first person to conquer both outer and inner space.
In 1967 he became the Navy's director of aquanaut operations during the SEALAB III experiment. After retiring from the Navy in 1969, he founded and became CEO of Sea Sciences Inc., a venture capital corporation that developed programs aimed at enhanced use of ocean resources and improved health of the planet. He worked closely with noted diver and scientist Jacques Cousteau and members of his Calypso team, and subsequently dove in most of the world's oceans, including under Arctic ice.
Buoyed by his background in aerospace and ocean engineering, he also developed a career as a consultant to industry and the private sector, has lectured around the world, narrated television documentaries and written several books, including the 2002 New York Times best-seller, "For Spacious Skies: The Uncommon Journey of a Mercury Astronaut" co-authored with his daughter, Kris Stoever. Carpenter continues to travel, lecture and consult.
Carpenter's name and fame is synonymous with several Boulder landmarks, including Scott Carpenter Park and Pool and the Aurora 7 Elementary School.
"I'm very proud of my attendance at the University of Colorado," said Carpenter, the first of 19 CU astronaut-affiliates to fly in space. "And there was not a better home for me than Boulder."
For more information on CU in space visit http://www.colorado.edu/news/series/cu-space. For more information on CU astronauts visit
http://www.colorado.edu/aerospace/CUAstronautsFlightSumm.pdf. For more information on the 50th anniversary celebration of the Aurora 7 flight go to http://www.astronautscholarship.org/2012aurora7.html.


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Station Casinos reverses net loss, posts best first quarter since 20099 May 2014
The locals casino operator said its consolidated net revenue for the quarter that ended March 31 was $329.3 million, an increase of 5.6 percent. Station Casinos reported net income of $15.3 million, versus a net loss of $140.8 million in the same quarter a year ago.
The company's cash flow margins increased by 33.7 percent, the highest in five years.
Station Casinos Chief Financial Officer Marc Falcone said the positive cash flow marked the 12th consecutive quarter of growth in the nontraditional reporting figure.
"Station Casinos had a strong start to the year with first quarter results reflecting continued improved performance across all areas of our business," Falcone said in a statement.
During a conference call with analysts, Falcone said an increase in group business and convention activity along the Strip is helping to boost the prospects in the locals market.
Station Casinos has seen a "modest, single-digit increase" in revenue per available room at both Red Rock Resort and Green Valley Ranch Resort, which Falcone attributed to activity along the Strip. Revenue per available room is a nontraditional reporting figure Wall Street uses to gauge profitability.
"Las Vegas generally is showing signs of bouncing back, with March employment at its highest since 2008," Falcone said.
Last month, Station Casinos announced a combined $55 million in upgrades and renovations to the Red Rock Resort and Green Valley Ranch Resort, much of it focused in the nongaming areas in order to drive customer traffic.
"We continue to execute on our strategy in a challenging environment," Falcone said. "Our 2014 priorities remain unchanged as we focus on ways to drive revenue growth and realize operational efficiencies."
Station Casinos is privately held, but the company has publicly held debt of $2.15 billion.
The company told the investment community its Northern California Indian casino, the Graton Resort &Casino, reported cash flow of $57 million and the company was paid $7.4 million in management fees. Graton, which is 45 minutes north of San Francisco, opened in November.
Falcone said he doesn't expect Station Casinos to see any revenue benefit from the company's online gaming businesses in Nevada and New Jersey.
Station Casinos is the majority owner of Ultimate Gaming, which operates Ultimate Poker in Nevada and the online presence for the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.
The biggest challenge is New Jersey, where online gaming has been slow to ramp up since six casinos launched websites in November.
Falcone said the operators are all working to build their databases and grow customers. He said the various companies have been working to build awareness of online gaming across New Jersey.
He was hopeful the company's Nevada and New Jersey businesses will grow through the year.
"We should be getting closer to break-even as the year goes on, but I would say I don't think we'll be cash flow positive for 2014 in online," Falcone said.
Copyright GamingWire. All rights reserved.
Station Casinos reverses net loss, posts best first quarter since 2009 is republished from Online.CasinoCity.com.
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Hex mesh for a T-pipe
Hex mesh for a T-pipePosted by EduardP at September 10. 2012
Hi to you all,
For some time I struggle to generate a hex mesh for a T-pipe ( pipes with different diameters). For pipes with the same diameter I managed to partition and to obtain a nice hex mesh, but for different ones nothing works.
Can you please help me!
I attach a picture of the way I did the partitioning for the T-pipe when I have the same diameters and it works perfectly. But when one is bigger than the other the partitioning does not work. I really need to know how to do this, to understand the logic behind.
Thank you in advance!
The picture is of low help. I'd prefer a script where I could add some command or change some parameters to make it work.
Meanwhile you can try to use a specific operation creating a T-pipe shape: New Entity / Primitives / Pipe TShape.
So here is the script I'm using. Sorry if it is not so "clean". The Pipe TShape does not help me in this case.
Yes. The example I give is perfect and the mesh is fine. But the problem is when the diameters differ. Change in the script that raza_cil_mare differ of raza_cil_mic. I attached the modified script. Here the problem appears in my approach.
Apparently there are some errors in in your script leading to an appropriate geometry.
Measure / Check Compound of Blocks operation detects bad sub-shapes preventing hexahedral meshing. This operation reports "Extra Edge" error. When this error is clicked, "Incriminated Sub-shapes" field enumerates wrong sub-shapes that allow you to see them in the viewer (hide the main shape if a shown bad sub-shape is not visible). This way you can understand where your error is.
Re: Hex mesh for a T-pipePosted by Saint Michael at September 12. 2012
Re: Hex mesh for a T-pipePosted by EduardP at September 12. 2012
I'm struggling with this for a long time now. It is an example in salome but it is working only if the upper pipe is in the middle of the other. I have no more ideas although I really need to get it work.
Re: Hex mesh for a T-pipePosted by Saint Michael at September 13. 2012
Dear Eduard
Do I understand right that usage of a hexagonal tool for Partition is not obligatory?
I don't know if it is obligatory, but for the moment is the only way I managed to get some hexa meshes. It will be perfect to be another way.
Re: Hex mesh for a T-pipePosted by Saint Michael at September 14. 2012
Thank you so much. I can not wait to see it. You really made my day and my weekend. Wish you a great one also.
Re: Hex mesh for a T-pipePosted by Saint Michael at September 17. 2012
Re: Hex mesh for a T-pipePosted by EduardP at September 18. 2012
Sorry for the delayed answer, but I could only try it this morning. It is perfect. I did some tweaking and it behaves perfectly. I still have to manage the mesh part from your script, but with a simple automatic hexa it's working like a charm.
Thank you again and if we ever meet the wine is on me.
Re: Hex mesh for a T-pipePosted by Saint Michael at September 18. 2012
Re: Hex mesh for a T-pipePosted by Blanca D at January 03. 2018
I know this post was some time ago, but I wanted to use the script and when I try to change the dimensions in the TPipe.py then I get errors with the geometry. Because I want the two cylinders with 1mm of diameter and to change the lengths of the cylinders too.
Can anyone help me, please?
Thanks in advance!


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It's hard to work your way to Nirvana when your oversized T-shirt keeps falling down to your bra in Downward-Facing Dog. Or, how 'bout when you can't stop thinking about how sweat logged your cheapo leggings feel while you're supposed to be thinking about nothing at all?
Let's face it, a good yoga session can be made or broken by a bad workout outfit. And, if you're thinking about graduating to a more advanced level, Free People's got a great new line that'll do the trick. Made from a breathable cotton/spandex blend, these stretchy separates will hold things in without feeling like a vise (though, for ladies who need extra support, the sports bras probably won't be sufficient). Click through to shop the line (which will soon include yoga bags, mats, and more coverups!).
Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page!


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Vanessa Hudgens & Austin Butler: Separate L.A. Outings!
Vanessa Hudgens dons cute patterned leggings while heading to her car after a pilates workout on Saturday (May 25) in Studio City, Calif.
The day before, the 24-year-old actress' boyfriend Austin Butler showed his stripes while stopping by Home Depot with his father David in L.A.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Vanessa Hudgens
On the same night, Vanessa donned a hot pink wig while arriving at the 2013 Electric Run Los Angeles, which she hosted.
15+ pictures inside of Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler out separately in different parts of L.A…
Posted to: Austin Butler, Vanessa Hudgens


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Free-market crusader Stephen Moore learned over the years that the quickest way to bring an abrupt end to a conversation was to mention two words: Social Security. He remembers a White House meeting in the mid-1980s at which he raised the idea of overhauling the program as a way to cut the deficit--and a top Reagan Administration official pretended to have suddenly gone deaf. Years later, Moore brought it up as Newt Gingrich and his wrecking crew were drafting the Contract with America, which would be their manifesto for taking over the House. Again, no sale. "It was one thing every...
Is There Really A Crisis?
Social security is a long way from bankrupt, despite the President's assertions. Why, then, is Bush taking on America's biggest, most successful social program ever?
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Bulletin, April/May 2007
International Column
Academic Life of Information Scholars:
Cross-Cultural Comparisons of the United States and England
by Kendra S. Albright and Robert A. Petrulis
Kendra S. Albright is with the Department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield; she can be reached at kallbright<at>sheffield.ac.uk. Robert A. Petrulis is with the Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences (CILASS), University of Sheffield; he can be reached at rpetrulis<at>sheffield.ac.uk.
One of the most obvious differences between U.S. and English university programs is the terminology in use. In this paper we have attempted to standardize our language, using terms that are representative of both countries. For example, the term educators will be used in this paper to represent both the American notion of faculty and the English concept of academic staff; course will be used to represent both courses (U.S.) and course modules (England). We have further listed some of the corresponding terms in use in the two systems in Table 1.
|Table 1
|Comparative Terms
|United States
| Course module (or simply,
|Module outline
|Master's student
|Postgraduate taught student
|Ph.D. student
| MPhil/PhD student (also
called a Research Student)
|Academic staff
|A college within the university
|Pastoral Care
Academic Life. Academic life, for the purposes of this discussion, refers to the activities and tasks involved in teaching, research and service/administration, as well as the general working conditions involved in the university professoriate. Some of the issues related to academic life include teaching workload and the balance of teaching with both research and service, the balance of personal and professional life, support (for example, research, travel), increasing use of technology (for example, distance learning, collaboration with colleagues at a distance and so forth), academic policies, external perceptions of the discipline, academic freedom and the teacher/student relationship.
The standard workweek in the United States is 40 hours; in England, it is 35. In practice, however, academic schedules are similar. Educators have a great deal of flexibility about when and where they work, particularly to do research. The English academy often has formal policies that stipulate a work-life balance that addresses and allows flexible work schedules, particularly for working parents. While comparable policies exist for flex time in the United States, the phrase work-life balance in England reflects the actual culture and practice of guarding personal time.
The Culture of Student Learning. In the United States, while the legal age of majority is 18, the general social perception is that full rights and responsibilities of adulthood (for example, consumption of alcohol) are not assumed until age 21. In England, it is 18, which means that almost all university students are of age for purposes of everything from signing contracts to drinking. This difference is mirrored in the university culture in terms of what is expected of students regarding their own learning. English students are typically given much more freedom and responsibility for managing their own learning processes and much less direction and supervision than their American counterparts.
American educators structure their courses to allow for flexibility and interpretation, often going over the expectations of assignments in class to make certain that everyone understands. English educators expect students to follow the instructions as stated on the module outline and often do not explicitly discuss expectations for studying and assignments.
Further, the American approach to teaching and learning rests on frequent and timely feedback about performance, with students often receiving grades on several assignments long before their final grade report at the end of term. English university students typically receive less performance feedback. Students typically receive their first formal marks of any kind well into their second semester of study.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these approaches. The American approach involves more classroom-based explanation as to what is expected. The syllabus is often viewed as a contract between teacher and student. By contrast, the English approach assumes that students are self-motivated and self-directed. Those students who fail to work out their own successful strategies for academic work simply do not survive in the university.
The Curriculum. One of the most striking differences between U.S. and English higher education relates to the way teaching work is organized. The strong American tradition of academic freedom and independence is very different from the collective approach to teaching taken by educators in England. Course content is more closely managed at the departmental level.
Subjects covered by curriculum in both countries are similar and are shaped by the particular research strengths in individual departments. The way in which students demonstrate proficiency of understanding differs, however. American students have a variety of experiences through which to demonstrate successful completion of their programs, such as a thesis option, comprehensive exams or portfolios. English Masters students, however, must demonstrate proficiency in research and are typically required to write a dissertation.
The approach to doctoral education in England is substantially different from the United States. American students typically begin their studies with coursework, resulting in the development of a dissertation proposal and the final stage of dissertation research and defense. Doctoral students in England submit their proposals in order to be considered for admission and are assumed to already have a substantial grounding in research due to their previous completion of a masters dissertation. They spend three years working on their dissertation research and take only a few structured courses along the way.
Grading/Marking. In the United States, faculty have primary responsibility for grading the work of their students in fact, this is a basic tenet of the doctrine of academic freedom. Feedback to students often takes the form of either handwritten or electronic comments put directly onto student papers by their instructors. In England, anonymous reviewers use standardized forms to provide feedback regarding the overall quality of students work. These narrative comments accompany a numeric score sheet that highlights the category of students scores. Two markers review each paper independently and if there is a large discrepancy between scores, an elaborate process of reconciling the scores is set in motion. The basic contrast is that, in England, assessing student work and assigning course grades is a departmental responsibility, while in America, this responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the instructor.
Assessment. In England, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), which will conclude in 2008, will determine to a large extent the stature of the countrys research-intensive institutions. Perhaps more importantly, much university funding is tied to results of the RAE, and institutions that do not have strong research traditions are now trying to establish or strengthen their research programs. In most disciplines teaching-related research and scholarship is not considered to be valuable in terms of the RAE, although some educators in LIS programs do research in areas such as educational informatics or school librarianship which is considered to be valid in this field.
Travel Support. Support for professional travel varies among departments. Departmental funding for travel is more common in the United States. In England, travel funds are typically built into grant applications. University support for conference attendance in England is often limited and involves requests for funding through centralized offices.
Service. In both the United States and England, the center of academic life at research-intensive universities is, obviously, research. The U.S. concept of service is similar to administration in England. Because there are fewer national professional organizations, English universities conception of service/administration places greater emphasis on community-based outreach and international organizations.
Departmental Organization
Program Evaluation. The status of teaching in American institutions is typically higher than in England, where institutional funding is largely dependent on a government-mandated national assessment of research quality. In England, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) evaluates the research quality of all academic disciplines. Each discipline, including LIS, establishes its own standards against which the research output of each relevant department is measured. The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) accredits LIS programs throughout the United Kingdom as well as providing a qualifying scheme for chartership and advanced certification of individual practitioners. Accreditation of LIS programs in the United States is voluntary and is a function of the American Library Association, with a particular emphasis on the assessment of professional preparation.
Educator Workload. The workload in U.S. LIS programs varies by institution as well as with the individual level of involvement of educators in their research. In the United States, for example, a typical teaching load consists of 2-4 courses per semester unless the faculty member is conducting funded research, in which case the teaching load is adjusted. In England, the workload also varies with the amount of funded research being conducted. In addition, academic staff may share teaching across courses to lighten the responsibility of managing an entire course alone. The advantage of this approach is that it allows students to hear from speakers who are truly experts in their fields, while freeing up teaching time for research. Often what is lost, however, is a depth of relationship between teacher and student.
Rank, Tenure and Promotion. Unlike in the United States, tenure is not part of academic life in England. For new academic staff there is a three-year probationary period, after which there is an assumption that staff are permanent and are treated much the same as tenured faculty in the United States. Since there is no tenure system in England, however, promotion to senior lecturer (roughly equivalent to associate professor) involves an application process, similar in some respects to the tenure application process, but independent of completion of the probationary period.
Hiring Graduates. It is a common practice in England for LIS programs to hire their own doctoral graduates as academic staff. In addition, while there is a trend to hire those who already hold a Ph.D., it is not uncommon to find academic staff with masters degrees. In the United States, it is rare for LIS faculty to hold only masters degrees unless they are nearing completion of their Ph.Ds.
Some of the contrasts between English and U.S. LIS programs can be explained by examining differences in university life overall. These can be explained by the historical development of higher education in the two countries. America has a long thread of decentralism and populist tradition in its higher education system, whereas the UKs system has evolved within a national framework and much more elitist conception and has come relatively recently to providing university education to the masses. In LIS, each countrys approach offers unique strengths and weaknesses. There is much to be learned from each other with opportunities for opening dialog about our particular experiences. There are possibilities for adopting and integrating elements of each others programs into our own in order to improve research, teaching and service in LIS programs worldwide.
Articles in this Issue
Managing in the Digital Environment: Guidelines for Corporations, Government and Academia
Leadership in the Information Age: A Culture of Continual Change
Managing Teamwork in a University Library Digital Environment: Issues to Consider
In Memoriam: Lee S. Strickland
Breaking Developments in Domestic Intelligence
Academic Life of Information Scholars: Cross-Cultural Comparisons of the United States and England
Digital Libraries on the MUVE: A Virtual Adventure


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Unfortunatly I have too many replica shirts so I wont be needing more clothes
But bat stickers would be brill! I hate plain willow, would look good on my B&S, Id buy a packet.
Probably but the price has to be right
Unsure at this stage
Depends on the style of the clothing
seems like bat stickers would be pretty popular, do you think we could get some of them James?
Just digressing down that road for one minute - in theory advertising at cricket games would be likely to attract more interest in the site than just walking down the road.
My house is burned down but I can see the sky.
is this going anywhere????
When I'm back bowling in tournaments, I plan to wear a shirt with www.cricketweb.net on the back.
I may be able to resist putting a picture of Corky on it. :P
Nigel Clough's Black and White Army, beating Forest away with 10 men
LE you still play? :O :P
I think he means 10 Pin.
marc71178 - President and founding member of AAAS - we don't only appreciate when he does well, but also when he's not quite so good!
Anyone want to join the Society?
Beware the evils of Kit-Kats - they're immoral apparently.
Ah yes, didn't think about that!!:rolleyes:
What kind of shirt?
Is it going to be:
[list=a][*]Plain old T-Shirts.[*]Cool TEN PIN BOWLING (like the'Pin Pals')[*]Haiwiaan Styled.[*]Other[/list=a]
James, any further news on CricketWeb shirts?? If it helps, I saw a reasonable, cheap website called:
Might be worth a try
www.somersettalk.co.uk - Check it Out Cricket Fans!!
Are the bat stickers still on??
i might, but the price would have to be low, nobodys going to want a $30 cricketweb shirt
stickers would be unreal, my bats would get a work out,
what about patches that we can sew on to clothes, i could get some with all our other cricket teams sponsors.
Career cricket
311 wickets @16.54 and 3021 runs @ 34.56 from 176 games over 11 years H.S 178*
Member of the CW GreenCricket Web Career:(end of season 11) FC: 7404 runs @ 30.85 H.S 253* : One Day: 7331 runs @ 48.55 H.S 155*
Off season: FC 1209 @ 52.51 & One Day: 921 @ 92.10COD4: djs clanWorld Of Warcraft: just sensational
I would use the bat patches, but i'm already using a gladius, which has stickers on it.
Depends on the pricing. But yes I would.
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European Commission
Michel BARNIER
Member of the European Commission, responsible for Internal Market and Services
The European banking union, a precondition to financial stability and a historical step forward for European integration
Transatlantic Corporate Governance Dialogue
Brussels, 17 December 2012
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank the European Corporate Governance Institute, and Chairman Jörgen HOLMQUIST, for inviting me.
Let me also thank:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you know, the Council of European Finance Ministers reached a historic agreement last week.
Member States have agreed to hand over the key supervisory tasks over their banks to the European Central Bank. This is the first step towards the Banking Union.
The ECB will be in a position to detect risks to the viability of banks. And require banks to take the necessary actions.
It will be competent to grant and revoke licences for credit institutions.
It will ensure compliance with capital requirements.
This Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) will be a great asset for financial stability in Europe.
Before I will say a few words on the modalities of the SSM and the next steps of the Banking Union, I would like to explain the key rationale for the SSM.
I – The Single Supervisory Mechanism should bring three major benefits to Europe
1. First, it is a precondition to put an end to the negative feedback loop between banks and sovereigns.
Between 2008 and 2011, EU taxpayers granted banks €4,5 trillion in loans and guarantees.
This has had very concrete consequences. In some countries it has resulted in soaring rates at which countries can finance themselves on the markets and a severe drop in market confidence.
Therefore, we need to move from national backstops to a European backstop. This is the purpose of the European Stability Mechanism. But this new fund will only be able to recapitalise banks directly once all European banks are properly supervised. This is why an agreement on the SSM was so deeply needed.
2. Second, we need the SSM to reduce the fragmentation of the banking system.
The current crisis has led to a re-nationalisation of bank activities. With less cross-border funding and many lost opportunities for citizens and businesses.
The differentiated perception of risks led to disparity of spreads on sovereign bonds as well as in the interbank market.
We all know the consequences: similar companies in different parts of Europe operating on the same markets may be subject to significantly different costs of borrowing.
The SSM will restore confidence in the European banking sector. It is likely to have a positive impact on the spreads and consolidate the Single Market.
3. Third, we need the SSM to complete the monetary union.
Monetary policy is an important tool to deal with economic shocks. But it depends to a large extent on private banks which transmit monetary impulses to the real economy.
If we want an efficiently functioning monetary policy, we need a single European banking system. And it starts with a single European supervisory system.
Therefore the SSM is not just a way to restore confidence and deal with the crisis in the short-term. It is also a way to consolidate our economy in the longer-term.
For all these reasons, the last week's agreement is a major milestone in the history of European integration.
Let me now move to the content of the SSM agreement.
II – How will the new Single Supervisory Mechanism work?
There are five important points which deserve attention.
1. First, the scope of the new supervision
Some Member States wanted the new supervision to be restricted to "systemically important" banks.
But we know that small or medium-size banks can endanger the entire financial system. The failures of banks like Northern Rock, Dexia or Bankia are clear reminders of that.
Moreover, we cannot have two supervisory mechanisms for banks operating in the same market. It would be inherently unstable.
Therefore I am glad that the SSM will cover all 6,000 banks in the Euro area. The ECB will set the rules and be able to assume directly all relevant supervisory tasks whenever it considers it appropriate. For each one of these 6,000 banks.
However, it seems logical that the ECB focuses its direct supervision on the banks which can generate significant prudential risks – through their size or risk profile.
Member States decided last week to clarify the division of labour between the ECB and national authorities.
Within a unified supervisory system, the ECB will have direct responsibility for around 150 banks with assets of more than 30 billion Euros, or representing more than 20 % of a Member State's national output.
Other banks will still be looked after primarily by national supervisors within the same unified supervisory system. The ECB will have the power to step in directly at any moment, if need be.
Besides, national supervisors will also remain in charge of tasks like consumer protection, money laundering and branches of third country banks.
2. Second, the governance of the new mechanism
Bank supervision is a new task for the ECB.
We had to make sure that this task is clearly separated from the monetary policy functions of the ECB.
That is why we proposed to create within the ECB a Supervisory Board alongside the Governing Council.
In addition, to ensure the democratic accountability of the new system the ECB will report to the European Parliament on its role as a Single Supervisor.
3. Third, the participation of non-Euro area Member States in the SSM
The SSM is open to all Member States, also those outside the Euro area.
The final decision-making body of the ECB is the Governing Council, which includes only representatives from Euro area Member States. Therefore, it was important to allow non-Euro area Member States to participate in the SSM on an equal footing. The creation within the ECB of the Supervisory Board alongside the Governing Council solves this issue, with a mediation panel to resolve differences.
4. Fourth, the case of non-Euro area Member States which do not wish to participate in the new mechanism
Some countries have expressed their wish not to join the SSM for now. In this context, the UK, Sweden and the Czech Republic have expressed concerns about the ECB's new powers.
In particular, they questioned the ECB's voting rights within the European Banking Authority (EBA).
I understand these concerns. And last week's agreement does preserve the influence of non-Eurozone Member States within EBA.
According to the new voting modalities, any EBA decisions will have to be approved by a majority of countries outside the Banking Union.
EBA will have the task of fostering a single rulebook for all 27 countries of the single market. It will also work on enhancing convergence of supervisory practices via a single supervisory handbook.
5. Finally, the timing
Let me reiterate one point: an effective SSM is a prerequisite if we want to open the way for the European Stability Mechanism to directly recapitalise banks. And to break the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns.
Therefore we had no time to lose.
That said, the Member States found last week that a phasing-in approach was necessary. That is why they decided that the new mechanism will become fully operational in March 2014.
And before that happens, the ECB will be able to take over supervision of ailing banks, at the request of the European Stability Mechanism.
III – Finally, let me conclude by adding a few words on next steps.
The SSM is a great first step towards a proper Banking Union. But the Banking Union does not stop with the SSM.
1. First, the Banking Union will build on a single rulebook.
The single rulebook will be applicable to all 27 Member States. It will include rules on key issues such as:
- Capital requirements: Our "CRD 4" proposal is crucial for financial stability. It is currently being discussed in the so called "trilogues" and we hope to reach an agreement very soon.
And our banks are ready for it as demonstrated by stress tests conducted by the European Banking Authority.
But our major partners should also follow. Starting with the US. As the two largest financial markets in the world, we both have a duty to set the example and show leadership. We need to ensure a coordinated approach for the implementation of these important rules.
- Deposit guarantee schemes are another important aspect of the single rulebook. We need to ensure that each Member State has a fully funded scheme in place.
- We also need rules on Bank resolution: Our proposal for a common European resolution framework provides that shareholders and creditors should bear the cost of resolution before any external funding is granted. And that private sector solutions should be found instead of using taxpayers' money.
- Finally, the single rulebook could include rules on the structure of the banking sector. The Liikanen report has proposed solutions to separate deposit taking from more risky activities. Our reflection in this field is still on-going.
2. Secondly - the Banking Union will also need a single resolution authority.
The SSM will help us prevent crises. But we also need to anticipate the cases where a crisis would nonetheless occur.
We of course need to ensure that each Member State sets up national funds for resolution and deposit guarantees.
But a fully-fledged Banking Union would require going even further and creating a single resolution authority.
In case of cross-border failures, it would be more efficient than a network of national resolution authorities. This is in particular needed so that we can ensure speedy and credible reactions to addressing banking crises.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With last week's agreement, EU countries have fulfilled the commitment they made in June.
The SSM now has to be discussed in the European Parliament. The rapporteurs Sven GIEGOLD and Marianne THYSSEN have already done a great job.
I am confident that the final agreement will be reached soon. This would be good news for financial stability, for public finances in the Eurozone and for the world economy, which would get a boost from a return of full confidence in the Eurozone.
I am also confident that, in five years' time, the SSM will be considered as the key step to putting our financial house in order. And a milestone in a new phase of European integration, which should lead us to a genuine financial, budgetary, economic and political union.
Thank you for your attention.
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Style # 190727
Dreamy and painfully romantic, this bebe wedding dress features hand-beaded iridescent bugle bead embellishments on an asymmetric layer of silk organza, a fully-constructed padded bodice with a beautiful heart-shaped neckline, and a stunning full circle skirt. Finished with a high-shine satin ribbon at the waist.
- Silk Organza, tulle.
- Center front to waist: 9" (23 cm; back: 4" (10 cm)
- Skirt length: 52" (132 cm)
- Dry clean only
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a size 6.
Bead Organza Bow Princess Bridal Gown- Rami Kashou 1 1
awkward I am a big Bebe fan, so when I got engaged I was very excited to shop on bebe.com to see if they got any wedding gown for me. Really was hoping this gown will work for me, but it didn't. I am 5'1" and 118 lb, so I was looking for a gown with a natural waste, organza material, with some beading on it. When I saw this dress online it took my breath away because its got many things that I was looking for. However, after receiving the gown I was disappointed to see that this did not meet my expectation. Starting from the waste line, the dress was a high-waste gown. Being 5'1" the waste line falls on my lower ribs. Looks weird on me, makes me look even shorter than I already am. I guess I should of pay more attention to the model before purchasing this garment since now I can see where the waste falls on her. Second is the beading on the dress. I can tell that the beading material used on the dress is not very good. Is hard for me to believe that this is a hand-beaded job. Third is the color of the gown. Since I didn't know what "Cloud Dancer" color really looks like I picture it to be somewhat being white/natural color like the color I see online. However, the organza material made the dress looks more yellowish white (not Ivory) in person. Being an Asian with yellow skin, this dress just don't have the Bebe statement that I was looking for. Maybe this dress will look better on someone with different skin tone. Overall I think this dress will look better on someone who is tall and skinny. It didn't capture the look that I was looking for. However, I do like how bebe.com have this in stock for me to purchase right away. If you are thinking of ordering this dress, I will recommend ordering one size up compare to your normal dress size. February 11, 2013
1-1 of 1


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Hindupur to Vijayawada Bus Tickets Booking
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Hindupur Vijayawada
FAQ - Booking Hindupur Vijayawada Buses
- Q- What is the lowest fare from Hindupur to Vijayawada?
- A: Current Lowest fare is - Rs.900
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- A: Daily 1 Buses Running from Hindupur to Vijayawada
- Q - How many operators operate from Hindupur to Vijayawada with Makemytrip.com?
- A: Currently 1 Bus Operators operating daily
- Q - How much time it takes travelling by bus from Hindupur to Vijayawada?
- A: Approximately 11h 45m
- Q - How much fare from Hindupur to Vijayawada by bus?
- A: Current Lowest fare is Rs.900
- Q - What's the approximate duration from Hindupur to Vijayawada by road?
- A: Approximate route duration - 11h 45m
- Booking Hindupur Vijayawada BUS Tickets is easily done with MakeMyTrip Online Bus Booking
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- You can also check buses from Vijayawada to Hindupur. .
About Vijayawada
Vijayawada, a commercial town of Andhra Pradesh, is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in South India. Travelers from nearby cities and beyond arrive at this city of great historical importance for business as well as leisure. Buses ply at frequent intervals between Vijayawada and cities located within as well as outside the state. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) offers both intercity and interstate bus connectivity. Numerous other operators like Kesineni Travels, SRS Travels and VRL Travels also offer regular buses to and from Vijayawada. From Vijayawada, buses are available at regular intervals to almost all the important cities of South India. Some of the popular cities that are suitably connected by bus service to Vijayawada are Tirupati, Bangalore, Warangal, Nellore, Chittoor, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, and Hyderabad. The distance between the state capital Hyderabad and Vijayawada is about 273 km, and it takes nearly five to six hours to cover this distance by bus. The journey from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada, covering around 352 km, is quite pleasant as the route boasts of picturesque natural scenery. Warangal, which is listed as the Best Heritage Place along with Jaipur by the Tourism Ministry of India, lies just 240 km away from Vijayawada, and can be easily reached by bus. The distance between Vijayawada and other major cities like Guntur, Tirupati and Chittoor is 36 km, 416 km and 483 km, respectively. All these cities can be easily reached by buses from Vijayawada. As per their preference, travelers can choose from a range of buses offered by different operators, such as Volvo, Luxury, Deluxe and Sleeper. They also have the option of choosing between air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses. APSRTC operates different types of buses between Vijayawada and numerous cities, including Super Luxury and Garuda. An array of bus options is also provided to travelers by private operators like Kesineni, SRS and VRL. Moreover, the bus fare for traveling to and from Vijayawada differs based on the distance, type of bus and operator.
Things To Know About Vijayawada
In addition to the places in Vijayawada, you may also visit the historical towns of Amravati (68 km), Chandavaram (50 km), Kuchipudi (60 km), Hamsala Devi (85 km), Machilipatnam (70 km), Ghantasala (90 km) and Jaggayapetta (77 km). Regular bus services from Vijayawada to these places are available. It is suggested that you do your bus bookings in advance to avoid last minute chaos. You may buy bus tickets for Volvo, Sleeper and Luxury bus and AC buses and also interstate buses. You may also book online bus tickets but only from a trusted and recognised source.
More About Hindupur Vijayawada Buses
Whatever your requirements, you'll find a bus of your choice here! There are different types of buses you can choose among Volvo AC SemiSleeper,Volvo AC seater,Sleeper Non AC,Sleeper AC,Mercedes AC Semisleeper,Seater Non AC,Seater Semisleeper,Sleeper Non AC,Semisleeper Seater Non AC.
Book Hindupur to Vijayawada Bus tickets online booking - use code BUS120 and get 120 Rs OFF at MakeMytrip.com. 1 + available buses, 1+ Operators from Hindupur to Vijayawada. Bus seats are filling up fast..Reserve YOURS Now!


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The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks struggled with turnovers in the first half, which made it difficult for them to get on track the rest of the night against Iowa City Regina. In a game heard on KCII, the Regals benefited from early Mid-Prairie turnovers and led throughout the game. Mid-Prairie took a short lived lead in the second quarter, but the Regals got the lead back and went in at halftime up 30-24. The big point in the game came early in the second half as the Regals started on an 8-1 run to go up 38-25. It was a ten point game going into the last quarter 44-34. Late in the fourth the Golden Hawks had a chance to get within striking distance after a couple of quick Mid-Prairie buckets one off a steal, a Regal pass in the back court towards mid court was deflected, two Hawks went after it running into each other and a Regal came away with it. Afterward, Mid-Prairie Head Coach Don Showalter said that play kind of summed up the night. The Regals won 59-54. For Mid-Prairie:
Michael Aldeman 22 points
Jaemin Powell 10 points
Christian Swartzentruber 9 points
Mid-Prairie's 6-6 center Dylan Hochstetler fractured a knuckle on his right hand against Highland and had it taped up last night, he played a little last night but was held scoreless. For Regina:
Ryan Lynch 16 points
Ross Westemeyer 11 points
George Sehl 8 points.
Mid-Prairie ends their season at 17-7. Regina improves to 15-8 and will play Central Lee on Tuesday in Mount Pleasant. Central Lee beat Mediapolis 60-58.
Other Area Postseason Games
IMS 62 Lone Tree 58
Keota 63 English Valleys 41
Sigourney 63 Seymore 25


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Serendipity is finding your feet somewhere new
Life Hack: Travel & Keep Traveling. Travel with the people you love and to the places you can love together... Travel to explore, to find or to forget where your feet ought to be. Our motto is you should never postpone joy, wanderlust, or the day you get to navigate in your favorite #drdenim gear... Two people we know that really get this maxim to the max is @stellatraveler and her boyfriend @gustavwiking; He has a talented eye behind the lens and she is a traveler through and through. Here is their journey, a trip from France to Shanghai they were kind enough to take us on.
Navigate your #denimdays and get inspired.
Photos by Gustav Wiking


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Which Two Actors Both Have Problems Getting It Up?
This Oscar winner blames an on-set injury for why he can't please ladies in bed and another actor had a week-long sex romp with a Real Housewife, but was too stoned to get hard. This friend of Whitney's is back on the drugs and this actress is offering to sleep with directors for work. Let's hope some of the takers aren't limp.
1. "Which handsome Oscar winner always has beautiful girlfriends but can't please them in the sack? The handsome actor blames his lackluster performance in the bedroom on an on-set injury he sustained while making a film – and lucky for him, he's so drop-dead gorgeous the women in his life haven't seemed to mind his inadequate performances." [National Enquirer]
2. "When this reality housewife was sharing the details about her sex week with this A list movie star. What she forgot to mention was that the reason was it lasted an entire week or weekend was because it took almost that long for the actor to get ready to perform. Our Housewife was very imaginative in thinking of new ways to make him performance ready but the drugs really made that difficult." [CDaN]
3. "Which former Whitney Houston love interest professes to be clean and sober while in grief for the late superstar? But truth is this person has NEVER stopped boozing and has secretly been getting smashed every night since Whitney's tragic death." [National Enquirer]
4. "This big-time celebrity who just had a baby is loving motherhood, but is having all sorts of trouble with her body. She's frustrated her figure didn't magically snap back into shape and she's hired a team of experts to help her look even better than before her pregnancy. Her doctor's are concerned about her diet and plans (which involve surgery) but she is determined." [BuzzFoto]
5. "While many people use Oscar parties as an opportunity to network, this well-known film actress just took it to a whole new level. After a few drinks, she started getting very bold in her approach of directors who might be amenable to hiring her. Even though she is only in her thirties, she is concerned that her offers are going to slow down as she ages, and she wants it to be known that she is willing to do whatever she needs to do to continue to get cast in good projects. To that end, she would walk up to a director, playfully throw an arm around his shoulders, and pose the following question: 'So, who does a girl have to fuck around here to get a job?' Fortunately for her, more than one director answered, 'Me.'" [Blind Gossip]
6. "Which legendary British singer has cut off his son from receiving any of his hard-earned cash? After a recent club gig in New York, the son, also a performer, actually passed a basket around to collect money for his band." [National Enquirer]
7. "Which hip-hop mogul likes to give his plus-size mom and aunt his exclusive American Express Black Card to go on carte blanche spending sprees in New York City? The only problem is that the hefty ladies hit up swanky boutiques that never carry clothes in their sizes." [National Enquirer]


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- AltCar Auto Show
- Beijing Auto Show
- CES Auto Show
- Chicago Auto Show
- DC Auto Show
- Detroit Auto Show
- Frankfurt Auto Show
- Geneva Auto Show
- LA Auto Show
- NAIAS Auto Show
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Auto Show: 2013 New York Auto Show
2015 Volkswagen Golf: New York Auto Show
What is it?
The Volkswagen Golf is a compact hatchback sold in three and five-door versions. The New York Auto Show marks the debut of the 2015 VW Golf, which went on sale this year in other markets. Most Golf models will come with a 1.8-liter turbo 4-cylinder with 170 horsepower. The Golf TDI offers a 150 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged-diesel engine with 236 lb-ft of torque. And while the sporty GTI model keeps its 2.0-liter turbo gas engine, it's expected to produce more power than the current version
How much?
Pricing has not yet been announced, but we expect it will be similar to the cost of current versions. The Golf now starts at around $18,500, while diesel models and the GTI start at $25,000.
When can you get it?
The 2015 VW Golf should be available early in 2014.
Add it to your shopping list because...
The Golf remains a highly popular compact car, and the new version improves on its successful formula. While American buyers tend to prefer the Jetta -- essentially a sedan version of the Golf -- the 2015 VW Golf offers more utility thanks to its hatchback bodystyle. For drivers interested in the best fuel economy, today's Golf TDI offers up to 43 mpg -- and the new one will likely improve on that. And, of course, the GTI remains one of today's best performance bargains. Volkswagen has not yet announced if the all-wheel drive Golf R will return (but we think it's a pretty safe bet).
Other cars to consider:
Ford Focus: The Focus is available as a five-door hatchback and a sedan. It offers a GTI-fighting ST model, but no turbodiesel. However, there is a plug-in hybrid, the Focus Electric, for shoppers looking to go green.
Hyundai Elantra: Hyundai has added a five-door hatchback to its Elantra lineup for 2013. Dubbed the Elantra GT, it starts around $19,000. But while base models go toe-to-toe with the Golf, the Elantra doesn't offer diesel or a GTI-rivaling performance version.
Mazda3: The Mazda3 comes as either a 5-door hatchback or a sedan. Hatchback models start just under $21,000 and feature adept handling. A performance version, the MazdaSpeed3, is a strong rival to the sporty GTI.
Used Audi A3: The A3 is essentially a GTI wearing an Audi grille. Available only as a five-door, the handsome A3 may be for you if you like the GTI's sporty feel but want your car to come from a more upscale brand.


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I wrote previously on
here about an issue with my boyfriend's lodger,well she is still around! she is In her 40s,been there over 20 years, single, rules the roost, does not pay any household bills, and has dogs,my boyfriend has asked me to move in, but ive refused as i dont think I could cope with another person being there.she is just all about the dogs, and after a couple of run ins with her selfish behaviour - her tv on all night - we gave her 6 months notice, which she ignored, I dont want to throw anyone on the street, but I dont think she is bothering. We want to do the house up together, but I dont like going there, with no privacy and the atmosphere is tense.We are in our early 60s so I feel frustrated that someone else is controlling my future.We have been together 4 years but am stuck because of her!Shall I stick at it or move on because I just feel she is not moving!


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Bhubaneshwar to Boriguma AC Sleeper Seater Bus Tickets Booking
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About AC Sleeper Seater Buses
With increasing demand for modes of road transport, design concept for buses are changing rapidly with concentration on increasing seating capacity and yet offering comfort and convenience. The latest combination of the two has resulted in the introduction of air conditioned seater cum sleeper buses that offer passengers the choice of seats and berths within the same bus. A typical seater cum sleeper bus has two rows of seats that regular buses feature and in addition it also features a row of berths above the seats on each side of the aisle. In seater cum sleeper buses, the overhead luggage storage space is missing, hence passengers would be required to submit their baggage to be kept in the external luggage storage compartments. Since the fare for a seat is less than that of a berth in a seater cum sleeper bus, depending on their budget and duration of travel, passengers can now opt for either a seat or a sleeper berth on seater cum sleeper buses. The air conditioning ensures passengers enjoy a pleasant bus ride to their preferred destination, unaffected by weather conditions outside the bus. Private bus operators in various metropolitan cities as well as small towns offer seater cum sleeper bus services that run on most road routes connecting major cities. Enjoy the convenience of booking seater cum sleeper bus tickets through the online bus ticket booking system.
Book Bhubaneshwar Boriguma AC Sleeper Seater Bus Tickets online booking @Rs.100 - use code BUS120 and get 120 Rs OFF at MakeMytrip.com. + AC Sleeper Seater bus available , + Operators from Bhubaneshwar to Boriguma. Bus seats are filling up fast..Reserve YOURS Now!


text: Search Results We have found 1 product listings matching your search query. Close Sort By: TitleDatePopularityFeaturedRatingPrice List Grid Capital City Movers NYC Posted 08 months 4 days 18 hours 28 minutes ago. Transportation And Logistics 168 Capital City Movers NYC offers the best moving services NYC has to offer! Moving costs NYC might be somewhat higher in comparison to estimates in other areas, and Capital City Movers NYC understand th $100 Unknown 1 Page 1 of 1


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|2011-08-30, 11:10
|Link #41
Me at work
The inexperience of the writer worries me a bit but then again,if you've got good source material a straightforward adaptation isn't hard (for exemple the writer doing the adaptation of Usagi Drop had no writing credits beforehand)
Also this will be by far the shortest gap between project for PA works (true tears---->canaan 18 months , canaan---->angel beats 9 months , angel beats----- >hanasaku Iroha 12 months , hanasaku Iroha-------> Another 3 months )
I hope that doesn't stop them from deliveraing the usual quality animation they're known for
|2011-08-30, 14:01
|Link #42
Licensed Hunter-a-holic
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 29
Yo acejem, you double posted
They are all great to decent directors IMO, and I think that Mizushima is certainly in the more decent range. At least, I liked the stuff he worked on.
I don't think there is much worry, since they wouldn't be working on anything else. I mean it more of sign of better efficiency in moving from project to project than cutting down on quality right?
*watch as this becomes the worse looking show they made, and I eat my words in 3 months*
|2011-08-30, 15:01
|Link #43
Seishu's Ace
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
Any opinion is valid because it's just that, an opinion. But I'd be hard-pressed to see an impartial observer look at Kamisama Dolls and say Seiji Kishi hasn't done a good job with that adaptation.
|2011-08-30, 16:09
|Link #44
Bittersweet Distractor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 27
I don't think Kamisama Dolls is bad, he striked brilliance in episode 7 of that series. But his other series make me skeptical. If he can somehow keep delivering on that series and deliver on Persona 4, I might reconsider my opinion on him.
I think one of the directors also made Sword of the Stranger if I recall....
My only point here being is that PA works hasn't employed a stellar director yet, which is disappointing.
|2011-08-30, 20:27
|Link #46
Lets be reality
Join Date: May 2007
Besides Seiji Kishi and Ando are definitely more than above average when it comes to directing, no one could've saved Angel Beats.... and Junji Nishimura has done quality stuff.
Last edited by Westlo; 2011-08-30 at 20:51.
|2011-08-30, 20:58
|Link #47
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Age: 24
What's the criteria for a "stellar director" in the first place? That's highly subjective and the honest truth is that unless you've extensively studied camera and directing techniques it's almost impossible to distinguish directors from each other, unless they have extremely flamboyant styles that stick out like Shinbo or Ikuhara (not necessarily a good thing, subjective, etc). I think people misunderstand exactly what a director does. They have some influence over the script but in the end like 90% comes from who is ever in charge of supervising the script (series composition). Those are the people you need to be throwing pines and needles at if you're worrying about the story being told well. A director just breathes life into a script, so to speak. From that perspective, imo Mizushima is superb.
|2011-08-30, 23:59
|Link #48
Bittersweet Distractor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 27
No I don't misunderstand what a director does. But this is one thing for sure, a director is the one who gives the final OK to anything in a production, it's his job to reign in the production and make sure it fulfills its objectives in entertainment. When a series turns out good, that's a sign of a good director.
Other areas need talent too of course, but a director is the single mos important thing to any anime production, especially if its anime original.
And yes of course determining whether a director or not is stellar is subjective. No shit. It's my opinion of course that these directors are just not that all stellar. People are free to disagree afterall.
In the end, I'll give it a fair assessment. Just saying that nothing about the director's name makes me think that I'm in for something special, ala the recent Madoka or Steins;Gate staff, but that's just me. More interested in the source material itself to garner my interest in the show.
|2011-08-31, 03:53
|Link #49
Me at work
Of course in the western movie world directors can ask for rewrites but that wasn't always the case and doesn't seem to always be the case in anime.
Last edited by totoum; 2011-08-31 at 04:08.
|2011-10-04, 20:01
|Link #55
The Chaotic Dreamer
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: In a cruel yet beautiful world
Age: 27
I like the char designs... Not much else I can say. I know I'll watch it, but at this point I can't tell if the story will be a hit or miss.
Last edited by Kismet-chan; 2011-10-05 at 19:58.
|2011-10-04, 21:47
|Link #57
Rewrite of the Life
Quality of works can be seen on different levels. I liked Angel Beats but I know it would have been much better given a larger length as it needed. But what I meant in stepping it up was overall production quality. Regardless if their current work was something I loved or not.
|2011-10-07, 02:53
|Link #58
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
So he's now done two of their four shows in Canaan and Hanasaku Iroha for this relatively new studio and he's a fantastic director.
Canaan's my favorite of their shows so far.
|2011-10-16, 19:32
|Link #60
The Invincible Samurai
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Gairyu Isle, Japan
Age: 32
The characters look like generic JP highschool kids.. I guess that's what they're going for. I like mystery stories and PA works has become one of my favorite Studio's. I like a lot of what the Director has worked on as well. Wasn't a fan of Blood C though.
|horror, mystery, seinen
|Thread Tools


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The 2015 Big WOW! ComicFest is expected to draw record crowds. If you'd like to be a part of the Show please download the Exhibitor Registration form below and return it to mailing address provided. You can also Register Online by Clicking Here.
Attn. Exhibitors. Here is the "Information" for Exhibitors and Small Press/Artist Alley. Please feel free to contact "Big Wow!" if you need additional information.
Exhibitor letter:
With Wonder-Con moving temporarily to Anaheim again this year, it has left a hole in the comic convention world of northern California, that we are hoping to fill. This year should be a great one for the fans, exhibitors and friends of Big Wow! ComicFest. We have a lot more "media" advertising than ever, including 5 weeks of ads starting next week in the "East Bay Express" and "The San Jose Metro", over 60 spots on "COMCAST", BUS ADs and even a Billboard. We will be passing out over 50,000 flyers, be present (and handing out flyers... personally) at every Toy and Comic (and most Anime) shows on the West Coast, for the next year.
We have also raised our "internet" presence thanks to "ComicArtFans.com", "Facebook" and "Twitter". Along with more "blog" and internet articles and press releases. The word is spreading.
As exhibitors at the show, we take this time to ask one small favor of you. If you have an email feed (list), twitter account, Facebook or website.. please take a minute to shout out to your customers and fans about the show and that you will be there, and to come and support you, the show and our industry. Help Spread The Word!
There will be a floor plan attached to the website on March 25th. Your booth assignments will be posted on the website, along with a list of all our guests, small press and publishers. Be sure to take a look at the website for updated information. The show program will be posted within 3 weeks of the show. Please be sure to check out your booth assignments after March 25th on the floor map.
Also, speaking of programs... This year we will be having a Big Wow! program book for the fans, and have a few spots still available to advertise with the show. As an exhibitor you can use the ad to spotlight an event or sale at your booth, or to let the fans know about your store or internet business. For more information, rates and deadlines, please check out the website under "Advertising" for more info.
*Exhibitor Set-Up begins at 4:00pm on Friday, April 17th (till 9:am).
Again on Saturday May 17th (7:00am till 9:30am)
Please Note: No vehicles will be allowed on the loading dock until after 5:00pm on Friday.
After arriving, please "check in" at the exhibitors desk BEFORE you start moving in. You will be given your badges and move-in instructions. There will be a Big Wow "dock" employee, please follow his instructions and lets all have a great "move-in" experience.
All set up must be complete and all isles cleared by 9:30am on Saturday morning, or we can not open the show to the public. The Fire Marshall WILL NOT let us open to the public if the isles are not clear.
If you have a Balance due, are missing your CA Resale Number, or have not signed your contract, you will NOT be allowed to set-up until these things are taken care of at the front desk. Thank you for understanding.
*The room will open at 9:00 am to exhibitors on Sunday, April 19th, (The doors open to the public at 10:00am).
Dollies will be allowed in the room for set-up and break down, but NOT during show hours.
*BREAKDOWN IS NOT ALLOWED BEFORE 5:00 PM ON SUNDAY MAY 18TH. There can be NO Dollies on the floor, or Merch in the isles before 5:00PM, theses are strict Fire Marshall Rules. Please, I had to stop a few people last year, lets all wait till 5pm... Thanks
Event Productions Exhibitors Kit from 2015, is on the Web, check the link "Exhibitor Kit" below.


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NEW YORK (AP) - Wendy's no longer thinks a hamburger has to be 99 cents to be a deal.
The fast-food company known for its Frosty shakes and square burgers is replacing its 99-cent value menu. It's now offering a beefed up array of options called "Right Price Right Size," with items ranging from 99 cents to $1.99.
At a time when costs for meat, cheese and other ingredients are rising, the revamped menu is intended to give budget-minded diners more options, while giving Wendy's more flexibility on pricing.
The switch to the "Right Price Right Size" value menu reflects the cost pressures facing fast-food chains. Burger King and McDonald's have already moved past the $1 price point, offering tiered value menus that go up to around $2.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Israel News - Stay Informed, Pray Informed
The Emergency Committee for Israel has published a YouTube video that properly puts into perspective the relationship between Israel and the Obama Administration.
Obama has consistently insisted that he is Israel's greatest friend, and in the run-up to this week's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House has been talking tougher than ever on the Iran threat.
But Obama's actions have revealed his true agenda, and his true feelings toward Israel. Watch the video, and you will come to understand that with a friend like Obama, Israel's long list of enemies has grown even longer.
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates
For Information & Reservations:
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Join the Nation's Conversation
To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs
Pain at the pump: Have gas prices peaked for 2013?
After a sharp two-month climb of nearly 60 cents a gallon, gas prices have fallen over the past month and may have peaked for the year.
The pain at the gas pump that you've been feeling may not hurt as much the rest of the year.
After surging nearly 60 cents a gallon from late December to a recent peak of $3.79 on Feb. 27, prices have fallen for 25 of the past 29 days. Nationally, regular grade gas averages $3.64 a gallon -- 28 cents below year-ago levels.
The month-long drop has come at a time when gasoline prices typically climb, prompting some industry forecasters to rethink early 2013 estimates of $4 a gallon or higher by the peak summer driving season.
With the oil-rich Middle East relatively stable, U.S. refineries relatively problem-free, domestic production rising and consumers using less gasoline, prices may have peaked. Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for price tracker GasBuddy.com, now expects average prices to peak at $3.64 to $3.69, versus the $3.95 he predicted in January.
"I just don't see a run-up to $4 this year,'' DeHaan says. GasBuddy monitors prices in 166 cities. Prices have fallen in all of them.
Relief at the pump could energize lackluster consumer spending, says Chris Christopher, director of consumer economics at IHS Global Insight.
"Even though the amount people spend on gas is usually less than 5% of disposable income, gas prices have an undue influence on consumer mood," Christopher says. "And while it won't make up the difference in the expired payroll tax, it will help offset the impact and give people a bit more spending power."
Some energy analysts aren't quite ready to call February's top the peak for the year, but they doubt prices will climb substantially. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude oil recently broke out of a tight month-long trading range. It currently trades at about $97.08 a barrel, a six-week high, but still about $10 a barrel less than year-ago levels.
The Energy Information Administration says monthly U.S. crude oil production is on an annual pace to exceed crude oil imports for the first time since early 1995. And refineries are churning out supplies at two-month highs.
"April has the potential to deliver some surprises and updrafts,'' says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst with the Oil Price Information Service. "The coast is not yet clear for a 2013 top, but it was always nonsense to suggest prices from $4.25 to $5 a gallon. That won't happen unless there is disruption in the Mideast."
Despite the month-long drop, the year's early price surge will push the first-quarter price average to about $3.58, about 4 cents higher than 2012's first quarter, Kloza says.
Kloza urges consumers to shop around.
"The range in a typical market is 30 to 40 cents a gallon," Kloza says. "But the difference between the cheapest and most expensive gas in many markets is more than $1 a gallon. So any consumers who buy based on price have seen some nice rewards."


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07.20.09 Fast BreaksPosted by rtmsf on July 20th, 2009
Is there a worse time of year for roundball fans than July/August? Well, is there? Let's see what's been cooking over the last week or so…
- Economics, NCAA Style. Have you guys heard that we're in a recession – that the economy may not exactly be whirring along at a blistering pace? Inevitably, college athletic departments are starting to feel the crunch nearly as much as your local Citibastard – some are cutting expenses such as chartered flights and media guides, while even the venerable and uber-rich Stanford athletic department is cutting employees. Meanwhile, schools such as UCLA, Cal, and others are instituting high-dollar seat licensing fees (we're talking hundreds of thousands) to finance their stadium renovations and attend their games for the next quarter-century. Crisis is another word for opportunity, and we're wondering if the current economic climate will only provide leverage for the NCAA haves (Florida, Texas, Ohio St., UCLA, etc.) to exploit and exacerbate the widening gap between themselves and the have-nots by using private equity as the hammer. The NCAA ADs have given lip service to construct a more equitable model of competition for its member institutions, but like the Yankees/Red Sox freight train in MLB, the arms race inertia is already accelerating downhill and moving too quickly to be stopped. The final solution may ultimately have to be a separation of BCS schools from the remainder of D1, and to get there, you have to pay to play.
- 2009 ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Last year we had very high hopes that the Big Ten would finally get off the mat and win one of these challenges. Alas, MSU took its first of two emasculations at the hands of UNC last year in Ford Field, and the Midwesterners lost 6-5. This year's schedule is out, and unfortunately for the Big Ten, our first glance reveals that the odds are significantly in the ACC's favor to win this event again. The Monday and Tuesday night games (Nov. 30 and Dec. 1) favor home teams Virginia, NC State, UNC, Purdue and Iowa, but we'd expect the ACC to break serve by Maryland winning in Bloomington for an early 4-2 lead. Even with a Dec. 2 slate that favors the Big Ten, with Michigan and OSU holding serve at home to match Clemson, we'd expect Minnesota to get a road win at Miami (FL) only for the league to fall on its face again when Duke does what it does and rips Wisconsin a new one in the Kohl Center. The ACC wins again, 6-5. We have it coming down to three road winners, with the ACC taking two of them (Maryland and Duke). How do you see it?
- UConn Savior? This was quiet over the weekend but we find it to be a significant piece of news out of the UConn program, which is that the oft-confounding Ater Majok has committed that he will indeed play for Jim Calhoun's Huskies next season. Majok's eligibility has been a wild ride for UConn faithful, beginning a year-plus ago with his verbal commitment and two semesters of classwork in Storrs, only to be followed by a flirtation with the NBA Draft (withdrawing) and lucrative professional options overseas. The versatile 6'10 forward will help Calhoun shore up a somewhat inexperienced frontcourt led by returnees Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards, and if the reports of his potential are true, could provide an offensive force on the blocks to relieve some of the pressure from the very talented perimeter tandem of Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson. Major good news for the UConn program, which has taken its share of hits the past few months.
- Quick Hits. Noel Johnson: the former USC recruit will end up at Clemson. Dave Bliss: resurfaces in Texas (not coaching, thank God). Karen Sypher: no merit to her complaint against Pitino. Tark the Shark: his spinal surgery delayed. Keno Davis: extended through 2016. Al-Farouq Aminu: looking to dominate in 2009-10. Larry Sanders: thinking first round next season. Renardo Sidney: Part 1 of the NCAA inquiry. Lance Stephenson: much ado about disorderly conduct. Jared Sullinger: another in a run of Buckeye bigs. Harrison Barnes: get used to that name. Michael Gilchrist: another World Wide Wes guy with no chance at a childhood? Seth Davis: analyzes the top players on the summer recruiting circuit. South Carolina: in violation of impermissible snackage.


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This paper reviews testing results that demonstrate the benefits of using a combination scale-up and scale-out strategy . This approach more fully utilizes the building-block computing resources than by simply adding more computational elements in a scale-out strategy.
Oracle's MySQL is a highly popular, widely used open-source relational database. It is commonly used in On Line Transaction Processing (OLTP) applications serving hundreds of users, while delivering thousands of transactions per second. A very important aspect of OLTP system design is to build in the ability to fully utilize available resources—or to add more resources to match a growing load.
In the case of very large system implementations that will require scaling-out, it is very important that the fundamental system building block design fully utilize the computational capability of the individual compute node. This approach will greatly reduce the number of server nodes per cluster (total cluster size). Accordingly, it will reduce the system cost when scaling-out to achieve performance goals—or to meet growing user demands in the future.
This paper reviews testing results that demonstrate the benefits of using a combination scale-up and scale-out strategy. This approach more fully utilizes the building-block computing resources than by simply adding more computational elements in a scale-out strategy.
Applications such as OLTP workloads require low latency and high IOPS performance to avoid becoming I/O-bound. This is especially the case when attempting scale-up strategies with multiple application instances. Utilizing fast, low latency SSD based storage, such as SanDisk Optimus SAS drives, is a key enabler for scaling-up system performance.
SanDisk is a leader in flash storage solutions offering solid-state drives (SSDs) for existing applications—and for emerging applications such as Cloud Storage, Big Data Analytics and RDBMS (Relational Data Base Management System) applications.
SanDisk Optimus™ SAS SSDs use the Guardian Technology™ Platform, a suite of enterprise class features and write endurance enhancements that make cost-effective MLC (Multi-Level Cell) NAND fully usable for demanding enterprise applications and database workloads. Guardian Technology consists of three major elements:
SanDisk's vertical integration and ownership of the flash intellectual property (IP) ensures that the Guardian Technology Platform and MLC NAND media work seamlessly together to optimize write endurance, performance, and reliability. Optimus SSDs provide best-in-class performance with a consistent quality of service and with flexibility in storage capacities, ranging from 200GB to 3.84TB. The MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) for Optimus SSDs is 2.5 Million Hours, with a warranty period of five years.
The availability of powerful, inexpensive multi-core processors has enabled the use of the scale-up computing model. This is especially true when supporting multiple instances of applications or virtual machines (VMs) that can run on the same server system without introducing the complexity and software overhead of clustered file systems (CFS) and the introduction of network-related latency.
How well the scale-up approaches work depends upon the performance requirements of the hosted applications and computational capability of the host system.
One obvious example of an easy and transparent scale-up strategy is improving the storage system performance by replacing spinning hard disk drives (HDDs) with solid state drives (SSDs). Our tests have shown that SSDs can improve peak IOPS performance by a factor of 100, and can improve the average I/O latency by a factor of 30 or more, depending on the number of HDDs drives that are replaced. Some additional examples of scaling-up a server system include: adding more memory, using faster processors, and adding processors that have more cores.
One common method for scaling out systems is to add more processing power in the form of more servers that are linked in a cluster configuration. These additional servers can be physical servers, or virtual servers (VMs)—or a combination of both. Clustered systems, sometimes referred to as distributed computing systems, usually have global name space file system support, and they often have robust high availability (HA) fail-over capabilities.
Because the nodes in a cluster must tightly communicate with each other for database operations, the cluster-aware software introduces a source of latency that limits performance scaling efficiency as additional server nodes are added to the cluster1. For this reason, customers must seek to reduce the latency that is built into their scale-out clusters.
MySQL is an open source relational database, but it is also a database management system, which is a requirement for adding, accessing, and processing data stored in a database. Databases are used to efficiently organize data at a higher level than simple tables, eliminate redundant records and enforce relationships defining how the database will function. MySQL consists of two major modules: MySQL Server and MySQL Client, both of which are necessary to fully utilize and interact with the database functions.
The test scripts that form the basis for the data presented in this paper create eight MySQL database instances with the purpose of simulating a typical single server computing environment. In this environment, each MySQL client has exclusive use of a database instance: that is, there is a 1:1 correspondence of database "clients" and "servers." The storage workload is generated using sysbench scripts that initiate database queries to drive the default InnoDB storage engines in the MySQL servers. In this way, the test simulates large numbers of users launching transactions on each of the database instances.
Figure 1: TPS and Latency by Number of Database Instances
Figure 1, above, shows the transactions per second (tps) that were achieved as the workload scaled from one MySQL instance to eight simultaneously running instances. The database buffer pool size was limited to a total of 1GB of DRAM for each of the eight instances. Note that the total number of transactions per second steadily increased from one to six instances, peaking at 5,702 and then tailing off for the instances numbered seven and eight. This established that the peak number of transactions per second was achieved with six simultaneous MySQL instances.
The response time, as measured in the average number of milliseconds (msec) per transaction (shown on the right axis of Figure 1) increased by a factor of 4—as the databases increased from one instance to eight instances. However, the average response time for query completion was still a very low
1.6 msec in the case of the eight database instances. Note also that the shape of the transactions per second plot is not a straight line, showing that there are definite limitations when adding more database instances to achieve more overall performance.
Figure 2: MySQL CPU Utilization, Optimus SSDs
CPU utilization measurement can provide insight into how the system is behaving and provide clues to what changes could be made to improve performance. Figure 2 charts the data collected using mpstat while running the multiple MySQL database instances test. The mpstat data shows how the
CPU utilization varies as the number of MySQL instances increase from one to eight instances. The CPU utilization is segmented into five major categories, as shown in the Figure 2 legend. The "usr" category represents primarily the database application's use of the available CPU resources, while the "idle" category shows the percent of CPU that is available for other purposes.
The overall trend shown by the CPU utilization data is that the application quickly becomes CPU-bound, with the idle time rising to approximately 2%, by the time the fifth MySQL instance is started. In addition, the io wait and sys categories (I/O driver and operating-system overhead) stayed relatively constant for the instances numbered three and beyond, indicating that providing more CPU resources in the form of higher clock speeds—or more CPU cores—has the potential to improve application performance.
Solid-state drives (SSDs) clearly improved performance. Without the scale-up effect contributed by the high performance SSD-based storage, I/O wait time would have been greatly extended, meaning that the CPUs are idle, waiting more for I/O completion. High idle time translates to getting less meaningful work done, and therefore to fewer database transactions per second.
The test results for multiple database instances show that this approach can significantly improve performance, in terms of transactions per second, by a factor of more than 2.5:1. The strategy will reduce the cost per database transaction—and it will also improve server utilization. If the application can be parallelized with multiple simultaneous available instances, then co-locating (on a single server) multiple MySQL server instances using fast storage, such as SanDisk Optimus SAS SSDs, provides a good balance between cost, complexity, and performance on today's x86 industry-standard server hardware.
The term "hyperscale" refers to an environment where many instances of applications or virtual machines can run simultaneously on the same server—or on multiple server systems. This general approach is used by cloud service providers (CSPs), enabling them to scale their services as increasing demand is placed on their computing infrastructure. This "hyperscale" environment is really nothing new. It's an approach that combines the "scale-out" and "scale-up" approaches to add compute, memory, networking, or storage resources to a node, or a set of nodes, in order to improve performance.
Once the scale-up configuration for a single server has been optimized, additional performance can be realized with a scale-out approach. Scaling-out at this point has a multiplying effect on performance as more nodes are added in a clustered configuration.
To illustrate the principle behind scaling-out in a cluster configuration, consider the following example:
Based on these assumptions, it would require at least 17,000/(5,700 x.90) = 3.31 (rounding to 4) servers needed to match the requirement of 17,000 transactions per second when using six MySQL instances per server. Applying the same calculation to a server hosting a single MySQL instance, at least 17,000/(2,231 x.90) = 8.5 (rounding to 9) servers would be needed to achieve the 17,000 transactions per second requirement.
Based on these assumptions—and based on the desire to minimize the cost of improving the performance to meet the business goals—the following approach would deliver the best results: The best alternative would be to generate six MySQL instances per server, and to have four of these servers in a clustered configuration. The combined strategies of scaling-up the individual server node first— and then scaling-out with multiple servers—results in a cost reduction of more than 50%. This cost reduction can be achieved, while realizing the database performance that is being demanded by the business need, with four servers versus nine servers.
A much more detailed discussion on parallel computing and the scaling of computing systems, including both scaling-up and scaling-out technologies, can be found under the subjects of Amdahl's Law1 and Gustafson's Law2 in the References section and the footnotes of this paper.
An additional topic related to scaling-out databases, not covered by this paper, is database sharding. Sharding is similar to the use of multiple database instances, but it is sufficiently different such that it requires a brief explanation of the concept. Large databases and high performance applications can exceed the capability of a single server. Sharding is another example of scale-out—and it works by dividing up the data set and distributing the pieces over multiple systems (shards). Collectively, the shards make up a single logical database3.
Meeting the quality of service (QoS) needs of a dynamic and growing business is a challenging exercise for IT professionals. This paper presents evidence that architectural choices, such as software parallelism, scale-up, and scale-out approaches can have a large impact on application performance.
Some simple guidelines for optimizing application performance results, based on our testing of SanDisk Optimus SAS SSDs, are as follows:
As with any major business decision, careful requirements planning, testing and analysis should be done before committing to production volumes of specific hardware and software purchases. This white paper demonstrates the benefits of using a combination of scale-up and scale-out strategies to improve performance. The use of both approaches more fully utilizes building-block computing resources and reduces cost in the future as business requirements grow, demanding greater system performance.
1. See Amdahl's law at: www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Amdahl_s_law.html Reference to Amhahl's Law: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_computing
2. Reference to Gustafson's Law: www.spe-ed.com/papers/scale04.pdf
3. MySQL Sharding: Tools and Best Practices: www.slideshare.net/mkindahl/mysql-sharding-tools-and-best-practices-for-horizontal-scaling