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Lying lengthened Pinocchio's nose, but research suggests the more falsehoods we tell, the more it shortens our lives.
Fibbing releases stress hormones that can increase heart rate and breathing, slow digestion and cause tension and hypersensitivity in muscles and nerve fibres.
When we lie, blood pressure in the heart rises - and polygraphs pick up the change. Lying often enough, long enough can damage the heart and arteries.
Researchers at the University of Notre Dame carried out a 10-week honesty experiment with 110 people, half of whom were instructed to stop telling major and minor lies during the test. The rest got no special instructions about lying.
Both groups went to a lab each week to complete health and relationship surveys and to take a polygraph test assessing the number of major and "white" lies they had told that week.
"We found that the participants could purposefully and dramatically reduce their everyday lies, and that in turn was associated with significantly improved health," Anita Kelly, the psychology professor who led the study, said in a statement.
The link between less lying and improved health was significantly stronger in the no-lie group. When people in that group told three fewer white lies than they did in other weeks, they experienced about four fewer mental-health complaints, such as feeling tense or melancholy, and about three fewer physical complaints, such as sore throats and headaches.
When people in the control group told three fewer minor lies, they reported two fewer mental health complaints and one less physical complaint. The pattern was similar for major lies.
In weeks when participants told fewer lies, they reported that their close personal relationships had improved and that their social interactions overall had gone more smoothly.
At the end of the study, Kelly said, members of the no-lie group were asked to tell how they managed to be less deceptive. Some said they realised they could simply tell the truth about accomplishments rather than exaggerate, others said they stopped making false excuses for being late or failing to finish tasks. Still others evaded telling lies by responding to a difficult question with another question to distract the person calling them on the carpet.
The study underscores that in addition to physical harm from lying, the practice also damages trust and causes people to avoid dealing with emotions or problems that boost emotional stress.
Scientists know that lying actually makes the brain work harder. Radiologists at Temple University reported as far back as 2006 that they were able to see the extra effort in more brain areas when study subjects were lying.
It seems the brain has to fire up more regions to lie, because we're simultaneously suppressing the truth, coming up with an alternative and trying to keep our story straight. An average of 14 regions were activated when lies were told, compared to seven when subjects were honest.
A lot of research has shown that when we lie, we give shorter responses, make more speech errors, blink more and fidget more, but have no trouble looking the person we're lying to directly in the eyes. But it's almost impossible to spot subtle differences in a particular person who's lying.
The traits also extend to written communication - and may be easier to detect, according to research published by University of Wisconsin and Cornell University scientists.
They analysed personal descriptions written for internet dating profiles used on four matchmaking sites. They compared the actual height, weight and age of 78 online daters to the information and photos they posed.
About 80 per cent of the profiles differed from the truth to some degree. The results were published in the Journal of Communication.
The researchers found that the more deceptive someone was on a profile, the less likely they were to use "I" in the profile - a bid to distance themselves from the deception.
They'd say they were "not boring" rather than "exciting". And their self-descriptions were generally shorter, to avoid saying too many things that might trip them up later.
Liars who had fibbed about age, height or weight or posted a deceptive photo were also less likely to discuss appearance in profiles, talking instead about work or life achievements.
Using those markers, the researchers were able to identify who was lying on their profile about 65 per cent of the time. When they asked untrained volunteers to rate the trustworthiness of the profiles solely on the written descriptions, few were able to spot deception.


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subset: commoncrawl


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We learned of Dr. Bob's unexpected passing just days before this blog entry was scheduled to post.
Read part one of this two-part article.
Gentle Readers, welcome to Part Two. Let's talk about detecting very recent HIV infections and emerging diagnostic guidelines. As we have learned more about the natural history of untreated HIV infection and the body's immune response to the virus, we've developed a better understanding of measurable events occurring during recent HIV infection. For instance, the HIV viral load spike that occurs shortly after acquiring the virus correlates in time with a corresponding spike in HIV p24 antigen level. As the body's immune response kicks into gear several weeks after infection, the immune system begins making specific anti-HIV antibodies. The first to appear is anti-p24 antibody. As that antibody increases, the p24 antigen and HIV viral load decline.
I realize this sounds confusing, and that's because it is confusing. The basic point is that in early HIV infection we've learned when to measure what and what to measure, so we can make the diagnosis of HIV infection sooner than waiting for seroconversion (developing detectable levels of anti-HIV antibodies in the blood).
Earlier detection of HIV would have benefits for the positively charged individual, because it would allow for early intervention with antiretrovirals to preserve immune function and limit immune activation/inflammation. It would also improve public health by decreasing the number of new infections. Studies have shown that those who know their status are more likely to practice safer sex techniques to prevent further spread of the virus. Plus, HIVers on effective combination antiretroviral therapy are significantly less infectious.
Perhaps this would be an appropriate time to discuss the various types of HIV-diagnostic tests and some of their limitations.
The first- and second-generation ELISA/EIA (enzyme immunoassays) HIV-diagnostic tests are indirect measurements. For all you science geeks (and premed or med students reading this blog) I'll briefly describe how these tests are performed. Those who are not science geeks may want to skip to the next section.
Serum or plasma from the individual being tested is added to plastic cells that have been coated with viral antigens (first-generation assays) or recombinant HIV proteins and/or synthetic peptides (second-generation assays). If the person whose blood is being tested is HIV infected, specific anti-HIV antibodies (termed anti-HIV-IgG antibodies) would bind to the antigen in the wells. Then an enzyme that links to IgG antibody is added. This in turn binds to the anti-HIV-IgG. A color reagent is then added, and a change in color would indicate the presence of anti-HIV-IgG in the blood being tested. Really, that's how it's done. I'm not making this stuff up!
In third-generation ELISA/EIA tests, both anti-HIV-IgG antibody and anti-HIV-IgM antibody are detected. Third-generation assays detect HIV antibodies earlier than first or second generation assays, because IgM antibodies are the first class of antibodies to be produced by the body's immune system in response to an invader (such as HIV or other germs).
Fourth-generation ELISA/EIA tests assay for p24 antigen as well as anti-HIV antibodies of the IgG and IgM classes. Because the viral antigen p24 becomes present in the blood before anti-HIV antibodies, tests assaying for p24 antigen can detect HIV infection earlier than tests that assay only for anti-HIV antibodies (first, second and third generation tests).
Rapid HIV tests using oral fluid or blood can detect anti-HIV-IgG and anti-HIV-IgM antibodies, but not p24 antigen. Last year the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an automated rapid test with enhanced sensitivity and specificity.
The Western Blot test is much more complex than ELISA/EIA testing. It involves an analytical technique that detects not only the presence of anti-HIV antibodies, but also specific types of anti-HIV antibodies directed against the core of the virus (p17, p24, p55), polymerase enzymes (p31, p51, p66) and the viral envelope (gp41, gp120, g1p60). Western Blot (WB) testing is indicated only as confirmatory testing for preliminarily positive ELISA/EIA tests, due to the high rate of false positives seen with WB testing (~2%). A negative WB shows no bands (no anti-HIV antibodies detected). A positive WB shows reactivity to gp120/160 plus either gp41 or p24. An indeterminate WB reveals any band pattern that does not meet the criteria for a positive test.
Newer diagnostic testing techniques can detect HIV infection during the acute infection stage earlier than Western Blot testing. NAAT (nucleic acid amplification testing), also called PCR (polymerase chain reaction), tests directly for a piece of HIV's genetic material (RNA). The concept here is that NAAT assays for the actual virus while ELISA/EIA and WB tests measure antibodies to the virus. Because it takes a period of time for the body's immune system to manufacture specific anti-HIV antibodies, the "window period" period is longer for antibody testing than for NAAT/PCR testing.
Last year the FDA approved an improved nucleic acid-based test (Aptima-1) that can be used both to detect (diagnose) acute HIV infection and/or to confirm positive preliminary ELISA/EIA or rapid tests. It's worth noting the use of Aptima-1 NAAT testing as a confirmatory test remains outside of the current guidelines.
After acquiring HIV, acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) symptoms generally manifest within two to three weeks. HIV p24 levels (measurable with fourth generation ELISA/EIA tests) typically peak just after the onset of ARS symptoms at 2.5 to 3.5 weeks after infection. HIV RNA levels (measurable by NAAT/PCR testing) begin to increase at 1.5 to 2 weeks, peaking around three to six weeks following infection. Anti-HIV antibodies generally become detectable in the blood with third generation ELISA/EIAs as early as three to four weeks, while second generation tests usually detect positive results beginning around 4.5 to 5 weeks after infection. Of particular note is that Western Blot testing doesn't begin detecting positive results until around five weeks.
Head-to-head comparisons of newer techniques, such as NAAT/PCR, with standard WB testing reveal positive results are obtainable days to weeks earlier with NAAT/PCR. A particular problem with WB testing is indeterminate test results. Anti-p24 antibody is the most commonly detected antibody in the setting of false-positive ELISA/EIAs and indeterminate WB results. That rapid HIV testing techniques do not assay for p24 antibodies explains why rapid tests have a lower incidence of false-positive results than WB tests. Decreasing the rate of false-positive test results is always desirable and particularly important in clinical settings where it would lead to avoidance of unnecessary exposure to antiretroviral therapy (for instance in testing women in labor who have not had previous HIV testing).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) workgroups are now evaluating new HIV-testing algorithms for both laboratory and point of care settings. Combining rapid tests with NAAT-based confirmatory testing is under consideration. I would predict ultimately Western Blot testing will be phased out completely. That's right folks; you heard it here first!
Some may wonder if detection of acute HIV infection is really essential to public health. Actually it is. As mentioned above, the acute phase of HIV infection is associated with high viral loads and enhanced infectiousness. In epidemiological studies up to 50% of new HIV transmission is attributed to those HIVers who are very recently infected. Following current guidelines for standard HIV testing would miss much of the acute-stage infection.
Acute-phase-HIV-infection diagnosis is difficult, because many recently infected HIVers may not have major ARS symptoms or they have symptoms that are missed or attributed to another ailment. It is estimated that 92% of those acquiring HIV will have some ARS symptoms, but the diagnosis of HIV based on symptoms is missed 80% of the time.
Further complicating HIV clinical diagnosis is that symptoms are notoriously unreliable in predicting who is and is not HIV infected, because most ARS symptoms are generic and seen in many common ailments, such as "flu."
Options for improving HIV-diagnostic testing during acute HIV infection include enhanced screening techniques, such as p24 antigen (fourth generation tests, already in widespread use) and pooled HIV NAAT testing (this is available in some locations through specific programs). Pooled NAAT testing simultaneously screens 100 samples divided into 10 "pools" of 10 samples each. Any pool detecting HIV RNA then individually samples each patient's blood in the pool. A positive NAAT/PCR is indicative of acute HIV infection in someone with a negative rapid test. This two-stage method in essence detects HIV virus in the blood before seroconversion (development of antibodies).
Clinical studies have convincingly demonstrated that pooled NAAT/RNA/PCR screening has the ability to detect a significant number of HIV-positive samples missed by routine HIV-antibody testing during early HIV infection. Similarly there are clinical studies demonstrating that the use of fourth generation ELISA/EIAs can detect HIV infection earlier than routine antibody-only screening. (An Australian study showed fourth generation tests identified 93.2% of infected HIVers compared to 63.2% in those who were simultaneously tested with third generation antibody-only ELISA/EIA tests.)
It is estimated that 20% of HIV-positive Americans have no idea they are infected with the virus. It is also estimated that those positively charged individuals who are unaware of their HIV status are responsible for 54% of new HIV infections. Knowing one's serostatus has been shown to be associated with increased adherence to safer sexual practices. The current concept of "test-and-treat" would pay significant dividends by dramatically reducing HIV incidence. This model would require widespread testing and immediate institution of antiretroviral therapy for those found to be "virally enhanced." Early diagnosis and treatment would in essence lower the "community viral load," thereby decreasing the risk for new infections.
It is now widely agreed that testing is a critical first step in our effort to reduce the rate of new HIV infections, which have remained remarkably stable at approximately 56,000 per year in the U.S over recent years. This strategy is reflected in the CDC's 2006 revised guidelines for HIV screening in all health care settings. Patients are screened unless they "opt out" and specifically decline HIV testing. Unfortunately many locales are not complying with these recommendations, due to a variety of reasons, including cost.
The science is now clear. We know how to significantly impact the new-infection rate. All that's required is improved implementation. In addition, we have new tools available (NAAT/PCR, p24 antigen, etc.) that should be incorporated into a new set of guidelines for HIV screening of acute HIV infection. The FDA has made the first step in this process by approving Aptima-HIV-1 for HIV-diagnostic testing. Watch for additional and hopefully speedier evolution of other HIV testing guidelines.
Gentle Readers, I realize this blog was rather complex and perhaps a bit dry. Sorry about that, but I felt it was important to discuss this topic and have been meaning to do so for quite some time. I can now take it off my "to do" list. The basic take-home messages regarding routine HIV-antibody testing currently in use and the newer NAAT/PCR/RNA tests are:
- ELISA/EIA and WB test for antibodies while NAAT/PCR/RNA assays for a piece of the actual HIV virus. The FDA has approved Aptima-HIV-1, a NAAT/PCR/RNA test, for HIV-1 diagnostic testing.
- The window period for ELISA/EIA remains three to six months while the window period for NAAT/PCR/RNA is approximately two weeks. Both ELISA/EIA and NAAT/PCR/RNA tests require confirmatory testing.
- HIV-diagnostic testing can be confusing to those who do not understand the complexities of HIV immunopathogenesis or the limitations of individual HIV-diagnostic tests. However, HIV-diagnostic testing really isn't rocket science. HIV-knowledgeable physicians understand the subtleties and limitations of HIV-diagnostic testing. Even with its limitations and complications, HIV-diagnostic testing is remarkably accurate when conducted and interpreted appropriately.
- Watch for evolution of the testing guidelines as our testing technologies and knowledge of HIV continue to improve. Stay tuned to TheBody.com. We promise to keep you updated on updates!
Get in touch with the Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation.


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Legends of Folk: The Village Scene
Legends of Folk: The Village Scene Previous Broadcasts
KQED 9: Fri, Dec 28, 2012 -- 10:30 PM
This special celebrates the folk movement in Greenwich Village in the 1960's. It features clips of the best known songs and performers of the era including Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Joan Baez, The Mamas and the Papas, and more, along with contemporary interviews and segments hosted by Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary.
Repeat Broadcasts:
- KQED 9: Sat, Dec 29, 2012 -- 4:30 AM


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An unlikely pair.
I'm Miranda. I'm an artist and homeschooling parent. I write here about a range of topics–health, art, culture, education–with a focus on family life. I live in rural Maryland with my husband and four children.
Copyright © 2009-2017, Miranda Makes. All rights reserved. Get in touch: email@example.com


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Caught On Cell Phone: Cops Knock Out A Man Unconscious In Atlantic City, New Jersey! [Poor Quality]
Heres how a viewer that recorded this is reporting it "the kid was drunk and he was fxcking wit some chicks in some club called providence @ the tropicana casino in atlantic city in Jersey"
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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NEW YORK, May 14 (UPI) -- Comedian Bill Hader says he is leaving the U.S. sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live" after eight seasons.
"It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point," the 34-year-old performer told The New York Times. "It got to a point where I said, 'Maybe it's just time to go.'"
Hader is now expected to focus full time on his film career. He has previously worked on the movies "Superbad," "Adventureland," "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and "Tropic Thunder."
Seth Meyers was recently announced as the new host of "Late Night" while his "SNL" co-stars Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis have been making a lot of movies lately, sparking speculation they, too, will be leaving the show.
"I think they're making their decisions and we'll know soon enough," "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels told the Times about Armisen and Sudeikis. "I've said what I wanted to say to both. You never keep anybody there who doesn't want to be there, and there is a right time to leave, but it's more about where they are in their lives."


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Yes and yes. However, try to be consistent and don't confuse the reader.
English Teacher
I have some questions relating to IELTS Writing Task 1:
1) "The graph shows an upward trend in the ...."
Would it be correct to say that the graph always "shows" (present tense) even if the trend is in the past? Since the graph always shows.
2) "Sales in CD players showed an upward trend between 2000 and 2005".
Would the above sentence be correct gramatically? Here, it's not about the graph showing an upward trend, but rather "Sales in CD Players". Thus it's "showed" (past tense) rather than "shows" (present tense).
Last edited by englishteacher79; 23-Dec-2012 at 08:15.
Yes and yes. However, try to be consistent and don't confuse the reader.
Thanks for your response!


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Search For Properties In Mizner Lake Estates
View All Mizner Lake Estates Listings ›
Current Properties in Mizner Lake Estates
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On the grounds of the world-famed Boca Raton Resort & Club, Mizner Lake Estates luxury real estate offers a lifestyle truly beyond compare. Only fifteen lakefront estates, each a custom Mediterranean-inspired design, reside in this intimate guard-gated enclave which combines the luxury of private estate home living with the ease of condominium ownership. All this is enjoyed within walking distance of the Club's exclusive private-membership amenities.
Mizner Lake Estates luxury homes for sale offer beauty and seclusion on a cul-de-sac that winds along a picturesque lake, giving each residence an enchanting view across the water with the rolling championship golf course as the backdrop. All Mizner Lake Estates homes for sale also feature their own lushly landscaped outdoor living spaces, each centered on a beautiful private swimming pool by the lakefront.
With the option of Premier Club Membership, Mizner Lake Estates real estate has access to all the amenities of the Boca Raton Resort & Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, originally designed in the 1920's as the glamorous Cloisters Inn by celebrated Palm Beach society architect Addison Mizner. Exclusive club amenities feature two 18-hole championship golf courses, a world-class tennis center, award-winning dining venues, plus the Spa Palazzo, Beach Club, and Marina. Boca Raton's finest shopping and dining are just a few minutes away at Mizner Park. For the commuting executive, Boca Raton's private airport is a convenient 12±-minute drive away.


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The United States has reached an impasse in trying to stop Iran from proceeding with its nuclear program. Iran has repeatedly ignored UN Security Council resolutions calling on it to suspend its uranium enrichment activities that could either fuel peaceful nuclear reactors or military nuclear bombs.
In recent weeks, Iran's talks with the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency have been pretenses that have allowed Iran to move ahead with uranium enrichment with no additional controls on its overall nuclear program.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration has tried to ratchet up pressure on Iran with sanctions. And more recently, during the week of the Democratic presidential convention, Sen. Barack Obama reiterated that he is committed to "tightening the screws diplomatically on Iran" if elected.
Even if Iran at times toys with accepting a temporary suspension of its uranium enrichment program, it does not appear to intend to stop this potentially dangerous activity – regardless of sanctions.
Clearly, a new approach is needed to put in place stricter controls on Iran's nuclear program and to respect Iran's right to peaceful nuclear activities.
Tough talk and Iranian defiance have left the world worrying about possible itchy trigger fingers in Israel. The Israeli military could try a replay of the 1981 operation that destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor. But this time the odds are stacked against destroying an Iranian nuclear infrastructure that is scattered among more than 20 facilities and has employed thousands of technicians.
The solution? A loyalty test can reassure both sides. Nuclear negotiators need to understand that Iranian leaders want to maintain loyalty to the promise they made to the Iranian public to uphold Iran's right to uranium enrichment. Equally important, Iranian leaders must understand that they need to prove their loyalty to the international legal system in order to preserve the peaceful nature of nuclear programs.
A potential trust-building deal would bind the US and other nuclear energy states to Iran as clients under the condition that Iran accepts more rigorous safeguards on its nuclear program.
The clients would agree to buy Iranian enriched uranium and spent fuel containing plutonium for a competitive price. This would ensure that Iran would not amass a large stockpile of enriched uranium and plutonium but would continually ship this nuclear fuel material to clients.
Iranian leaders would show that their intentions are truly peaceful if they accepted this deal. And by accepting it Iran would gain international recognition for its enrichment program and could crow that they have the world's superpower as a client. It would be a win-win situation.
Currently, missing elements cast doubt on Tehran's assertion that its enrichment program is peaceful in nature. To make nuclear fuel, an enrichment facility is not enough.
A country needs adequate supplies of natural uranium to begin the process. Also, it needs a fuel fabrication facility to turn the enriched uranium into fuel that can be placed inside the core of a nuclear reactor. Iran has neither of these major components. But the limited supplies of indigenous natural uranium and the pilot scale enrichment plant now in operation are enough to allow Iran to eventually make dozens of nuclear bombs.
Therefore, Iran cannot run a peaceful nuclear program alone. In order to build commercial nuclear reactors, Iran must rely on the major reactor producers, including France, Russia, and the US – some of the same countries working to prevent Iran from making nuclear bombs. It must also rely on international suppliers of natural uranium and international fuel fabrication facilities. The overall deal would consequently bind the major powers and Iran together in a mutual client-producer relationship.
This international team-building approach would shine a spotlight on Iran's nuclear activities and at the same time give Iran an opportunity to make good on its public pronouncements of peaceful intent. Iranian leaders have often talked about "objective guarantees" that their nuclear program will remain peaceful, but they have yet to implement such.
Real objective guarantees would include continuous international monitoring of all nuclear facilities by employing secure means of data collection and numerous on-site inspectors. To motivate Iran to accept these measures, the major powers need to convey that the client-producer relationship is a two-way street.
A meaningful commercial relationship is about more than money. It would be a big step toward bringing Iran into the international community, a place in which all countries could work together for cooperative security.
• Charles D. Ferguson, the Philip D. Reed senior fellow for science and technology at the Council on Foreign Relations, is working on a book about government decision- making and nuclear energy.


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Intermetro Hanger Rail
Item #: 041105000106 Stock Status: In Stock
Shop by Brand
$11.99 - $24.00
Use this Intermetro Hanger Rail with your InterMetro Shelving Unit to provide extra stability and storage. The hanger rail is a great place to hang InterMetro Baskets in your garage, shed, basement and more. The Hanger Rail is available in three finishes, chrome, black or white, to complement the rest of your shelving decor. Choose from a 14 inch, 18 inch, 36 inch or 48 inch long rail. The 36 and 48 inch lengths can be used to create a back to your shelving, while the 18 inch can be used on the sides of an 18 inch deep shelf, or to provide stability for the bottom of a custom InterMetro desk.
Product Dimensions Additional Product Info
- Intermetro Hanger Rail Features
- Ideal for hanging InterMetro baskets and other InterMetro products.
- Available in chrome, black and white finishes.
- Comes with post connectors and four hooks in a matching finish.
- 14 inch, 18 inch, 36 inch and 48 inch long rails are available.
- Provides extra stability and storage in your garage, basement, shed and more.
- 36 and 48 inch rails can be used to create a back to your shelving.
- 14 inch rails do not include hooks.
- 18 inch rail can be used on the sides of an 18 inch deep shelf, or to provide stability for the bottom of a custom InterMetro desk.
- Important Product Information:
- Ground shipping only.
- Items may be drop-shipped from the manufacturer. Please allow an extra week for delivery.
- Gift wrapping not available for this item.
Product Dimensions Additional Product Info


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Sleeping Bean Organic Body Pillowbe001
Product Details
During my pregnancy this pillow helped me to sleep on my side as it became harder and harder to find a comfortable position. Getting rest becomes an increasing challenge for some women. I found this pregnancy pillow a welcome relief. It can also be used as a nursing support after delivery. This pillow is five and 1/2 feet long and made of 100% organic cotton ticking filled with non-allergenic organic kapok fiber. This maternity pillow has a zipper on the bottom for removing/adding stuffing to allow for desired firmness.
Matching pillow case (Sold Separately - item be002).


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CENTERVILLE, Mass. – After being named to the All-New England team last month, junior linebacker Jake Laux (Dousman, Wis.) was selected for another postseason award with his selection as an ECAC Division III North Football All-Star. He is one of 12 players from the New England Football Conference among the 32 selections on the All-Star team.
A first team All-NEFC performer in 2012, Laux turned in one of the best seasons by a linebacker in the hitroy of MIT football, leading the team and the NEFC with 121 tackles, just two short of tying the Institute record. He also had an interception in the final seconds of the upset win over Salve Regina on October 19 that earned him NEFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.


text: Rocco and Jessie Jazz are visiting Budapest and need somewhere to stay. JJ being the good samaritan and seeing an opportunity once he sees the body on Jessie, offers his apartment to them. They agree to allow JJ to record them having sex in exchange for staying at the apartment. The action starts with Jessie giving a strip show and showing off her sexy, bronzed body. She sways side-to-side slowly undressing and waving her golden blond hair. Her big, luscious tits and perfect round ass provide quite the intro to the show. Jessie then lays on the bed and proceeds to play with her lovely, lip-smacking pussy. Rocco then helps out and eats that luscious pussy. Jessie gets hot and horny, grabs Rocco's cock, and goes to town. The two continue to give JJ the show he wanted, flowing between sex positions and producing plenty of action. The final act is concluded with Rocco spraying a covering stream of cum from Jessie's pussy to her tits. After this well displayed performance, the rent is paid.


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My 360 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de impreso o envases y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 96 diseños de 30 diseñadores freelance.
360 Investments®
Real estate investment marketing firm that presents incredible real estate investment opportunities to our privileged client investors.
Real estate investors who seek real estate investments that generate excellent cash flow and have huge built in equity to build their asset column.
360 Investments® will be featured on the cover of "Realty411 Magazine" in their upcoming issue. We are able to design our own cover to be submitted for publication.
We would like our company logo / brand to be displayed in a eye-catching, clever way. This is the first time the magazine cover will not feature people on it and instead feature a company brand. Need your help, graphic designers, to make this happen!
Here are some ideas we came up with so far. Our logo is a circular design so we thought one option like our logo showing up in the night sky like "batman" symbol.
Or another idea is to spotlight the logo on "stage".
Another potential idea is to display our upcoming website homepage which is like a "desktop" top view with desk accessories on it as a sneak peak through window or skylight.
Another is like a keyhole that shows the website homepage "desktop".
As you can see, we need help to come up with something really clever.
Attached, you will find our logo, website homepage, and other previous "Realty411" covers for your reference, along with other magazine covers without people, and other attachments of ideas for your reference.
Please use the same "Realty411" font and style found on the previous magazines attached for sample mockup designs/layout.
Willing to increase reward for an awesome cover layout/design.


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Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf lrf pdb txt html
Saffron Sands has finally found her place in the world and it is on her back...or is that on her knees?
She likes red wine with ice-cubes, pirates and hot sex. In her spare time, she reads and writes of sensual adventures both real and imagined.
Saffron Sands....pleasuring the world one story at a time.


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Saturday, 11 February 2012
Heart Throb 5k
5 years ago, SR and I ran this YMCA's Heart Throb 5k together. It was the first race we had run together. I was still married, but was nonetheless in the predicament of being in love with this guy: SR, who won every single La Crosse YMCA 5k. It seemed so odd to me for a 30 something guy to get into running so much. Did he think he was still in high school or what? No, he was just Danish - or - just himself. And I was fascinated.
As today, the weather that day was in the single digits F. To be exact, it was 9 F (-14C) today with 18 mph wind from the northwest.
5 years ago, I had never attempted to run a 5k fast, but I figured I had better try to impress SR. So, I went out somewhat hard, though pretended I was just in it for fun (and actually, I was). I ran it in just over 23 minutes. I was really happy. That day it was good enough for second female overall.
Today, I ran the first mile in 5:52. I felt good. I was 5th woman at the time and about 13th overall. I thought I might have a shot at under 19 minutes. Between mile 1 and 2 my pace slowed a bit, but I passed 2 women and 2 men and was still on pace for a PR. And then the headwind struck and I felt absolutely terrible. I could not get my pace under 7 minutes per mile. I could not feel my legs. My entire body was experiencing an icecream headache. I wanted to just stop, but it was too cold to just walk after all. IT WAS TERRIBLE. I lurched across the finish line, just ahead of a 15 year old girl (the daughter of a physician I used to work with) in 20:27. I dry heaved for a while, felt so nauseated that I had to hobble to the bathroom to vomit.
SR won in 17:04. The wild part is 3rd for the women was good enough for 11th overall (193 total runners, 118 of them women, 75 men). It is interesting how in the US women seem to be nearly as fast as men. Is it just not cool for men to be in good shape here? SR explained on the way home- women here are stay at home moms and think running makes them beautiful. Men just don't really get into it. The truth is, I'm quite sure the young women who finished ahead of me weren't moms.
So what has changed in 5 years? Well, our location on earth is the same. I've taught myself to embrace suffering, I guess. But more importantly, I got the man of my dreams (somehow) and there are two new little boys in the world - who maybe one day will make the world a better place. Somehow a 2-3 minute improvement in 5k running time seems to be of very little consequence.
Tomorrow: half marathon in Rochester, MN. In the meantime, skiing with SR and The Lorax!
5 comments:
- DDitlev said...
Btw, I wasn't joking about that ultra trail remark last time :)
- 12 February 2012 at 07:38
- sea legs girl said...
Daniel, exactly, I have been agreeing with that comment more and more as the week has gone on.
And thank you for commenting. I was a little bit weirded out when I saw 290 people had looked at this website and there were no comments!
- 12 February 2012 at 14:44
- DDitlev said...
I'm glad to be of service :)
About the comments, strange! I think for some reason that it was the most 'at peace' post I've seen from you for some time, hence the *like*
- 12 February 2012 at 17:38
- Alicia said...
I don't know about everyone else, but I was too in awe of the 5:52 mile to comment!
- 13 February 2012 at 15:59
- sea legs girl said...
Thanks for metioning that, Alicia. I guess is was actually a mile PR for me (strong backwinds always help). I said to SR afterwards I would have started out even faster had I known how much the wind would slow me down on the way back.
- 14 February 2012 at 00:46


text:
Webservice::InterMine::Cookbook::Recipe6 - Advanced Results Management
# Get a list of Blast Matches, either 500 of them,
# or ones with E-values over 8.0, whichever is the larger set
use Webservice::InterMine ('www.flymine.org');
my $query = Webservice::InterMine->new_query();
# Specifying a name and a description is purely optional
$query->name('Tutorial 6 Query');
my ($subj, $obj, $evalue) = (qw/
$query->add_view($subj, $obj, $evalue);
$query->set_sort_order($evalue => 'desc');
my $ri = $query->results_iterator();
# We need to check for errors here ourselves
die $ri->status_line unless $ri->is_success;
my @goodmatches;
while (my $row = $ri->hashref) {
if($row->{$evalue} >= 8 or @rows < 500) {
push @goodmatches, [@{$row}{$subj, $obj}];
$ri->close(); # good hygiene, as the iterator represents an open connection
There are some limitations on the results you get back that are difficult to write as constraints, and can be more easily processed on the client side. The above example shows one of them - if we constrainted the e-value to be greater than 8, we might not get back 500 results, and if we specified 500 results as the result size, we might not get all the good matches.
But making sure we get all e-values over 8, or at least 500 results, is simple on the client side, and by using iteration you can apply filters of this sort to the stream of results, without having to keep all the results rows in memory or on file (you can simple throw away, or never even look at, results you don't want to keep). The example above is fairly simple, but you can perform any arbitrary logic on the result row to decide what you want to do with it.
For example, instead of just throwing away the bad matches, you could divide up the results into different result sets:
while (my $row = $ri->hashref) {
if ($row->{$evalue} >= 8) {
push @good_matches, $row;
elsif ($row->{$evalue} >= 5) {
push @dubious_matches, $row;
else {
push @bad_matches, $row;
or perform calculations on the data:
my ($sum, $total);
while (my $row = $ri->hashref) {
$sum += $row->{$evalue};
my $average_evalue = $sum / $total;
obviously the possibilities depend on what you want the data for. Just like the
results method, the
ResultIterator object can return rows in one of three formats:
arrayref and
There is no default - you must call one of these methods for each row you want back (you could even call different methods for different rows).
Whereas to unpack the results returned by the
results operator we used the
for operator, here we want to use the
while operator with assignment in the brackets:
while (my $row = $ri->$method) {
# do something with the row...
If you use Webservice::InterMine queries a lot, you may find yourself doing the same thing over and over in your code - this may be a sign that you can refactor out some of that repetition, instead of copy and pasting it between scripts. In the next recipe we examine ways to extend Webservice::InterMine to make it do what you want it to do.
As well as using the results method, you can get back the ResultsIterator directly to have fine-grained control over the results you get back, and what you want to do with them.
Alex Kalderimis
Please report any bugs or feature requests to
You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.
perldoc Webservice::InterMine
You can also look for information at:
Copyright 2006 - 2010 FlyMine, all rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.


text:
I have a slinky, windex, and a vampire. (From Dark Shadows, the original show). I don't know… The vampire might help.
Cell Phone, Water Bottle, Jimmy Chance (from Raising Hope)…
I'd say I'm f**ked.
Game of Thrones beezy. Officially not f**ked.
Primary weapon: pillow.
Secondary weapon: water bottle.
Surviving friend: Ted Mosby.
Don't think that'll go over too well.
Left: Pocket Knife (f**k yeah).
Right: Keyboard.
Person: Nick Burkhardt from "Grimm"
Conclusion: F**ked, but with a detective who has plenty of weapons and weapons experience, so alright.
Left: hotel room keycard (i Might use it for throwing it)
Right: inalambric posnet! (take that! i do not accept mastercard!)
Surviving Friend: Gandalf (Last "show" i watch was LOTR II..) so… YEAH!
Hey I'm doing pretty good, I got a Beretta 9mm on my left, a Bible on my right and Any main character from Battlestar Galactica.. Athena? She's a good shot.
I have a plate or an ash tray, a remote (so some batteries), and the last thing I watched was taken.
Yeah I'm fine.
Let's see… a cell phone, an "Almost Maine" script, and I'll be accompanied by The Doctor. I think we can make it!
Got an android phone as my primary (Droid X so it has FM radio and nice flashlight ) and a Leatherman as my secondary (Heck yeah!). But none of that matters, cause I have Avatar Korra covering me.
Hahahahaha Me too! (on the Korra thing xD). With the weapons I'm pretty much screwed… A blanket and a pillow…
A tissue, my phone, and any character from a hospital drama.
I guess I could do with a paramedic, but wtf? A tissue?
And errrr that tissue was for nose purposes. Not other things.
I have a pillow to my left, a rope to my right, and Iron man is my surviving friend, officially not f***ed?
Me too! Who cares if a bowl and a trash can are my weapons; Tony F*^&ing Stark will save the day.
Coke bottle, mobile and I Watched avatar the last air bender hahahhahah.
Weapons: Plastic Bottle and Pillow.
Surviving Friend: Stephen Colbert.
We will die laughing!
Rick Grimes, The Walking Dead.
Left: Guitar.
Right: Mobile phone.
Surviving Friend: JD from Scrubs.
Yep I'm f**ked.
I'd be f**ked for the first 2 but my surviving friend is Dean and Sam from Supernatural. Win.
Primary: a laptop.
Secondary: a fork.
Friend: Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach.)
Nothing to worry about.
Pillow, a mug, and Leslie Knope from parks and recreation. I think i'll take Ron Swanson instead. I'll be grand!!
left: spanish text book
right: plastic bag
Friend: David Bornaz from angel
yeah…… I'M DONE.
Primary: my grandfather's knife, with re-affixed handle and new sheath courtesy of my father
Secondary: rugged laptop (he's seen some action)
Friend: Finn from Adventure Time.
Status: I am fine.
I got night vision goggles, throwing knives, and my surviving friend is either Sam or Dean Winchester from Supernatural.
Don't worry guys, I got this.
P: Desktop pencil sharpener (you know, the ones with a handle – and not even a tiny blade!)
S: A bowlful of AAA batteries, a single AA battery and a 9V battery – all rechargeable – as if that helps any)
F: Mary Beard, the Cambridge Ancient History don)
Well computer mouse, slice of pizza and Sam B (Dead island) (i dont watch tv often) I might be ok.
primary= tv remote
secondary= a blanket
friend= fry (futurama)
I… I think I'm going to die very very quickly. (Fry will survive by being an idiot)
A Mug of Tea, A DVD Remote and Spiderman.
Primary: 9mm pistol (i was cleaning it out when i read this) secondary: a AA battery Friend: Stephen Colbert I think I'll do just fine.
ok, i have a mini-guitar, a wall and homer simpson it's the only survivor…
I'm f**ked.
Primary weapon: pillow
Secondary weapon: school bag
Friend: Fin from Adventure Time
Does this count as completely f**ked or not? XD
Primary : head phones
Secondary : a bowl of cereal
Last show i watched : ConAir with Nicolas Cage……i think i'm f**ked
Doesn't matter what items are near me, I got Horatio Cain! YEEAAAHHHH!
Ha ha, how amusing that the last show I watched was the episode of Castle…. with zombies! I'd still die, but at least I'd probably have fun doing it.
primary: chopsticks
secondary: a hard drive
friend: Naruto Uzumaki
i think it's safe to say i'm good, i got a legendary ninja.
Primary: Stapler
Secondary: Letter opener
Friend: Either Castle or Beckett from Castle (and the latest episode was about zombies!)
Primary: Some Anti-Biotic Wipes
Secondary: Some really good soup
Friend: Spongebob Squarepants
If doomed, it shall be fun.
I think I'll live…
Left: A Farmers Insurance Pen
Right: A tall Lamp
Surviving Friend: Bear Gryllis, Man Vs. Wild


text:
Please suggest a tool to reverse engineer a PostgreSQL DB into an entity-relationship-diagram (ERD) or equivalent ??
Ideally, I'm looking for a simple ERD or UML class diagram in a format that is easy to work with (SVG, PDF or any common UML file format).
So far, I founded only software for MySQL and it's for Windows, but that's not solution.


text:
TMZ Helps Gangsters Identify Next Target
Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records, intimidating former football player, and certified gangster, somehow got himself knocked out at a club on Saturday night. Odd! Even odder: the guy who did the knocking allowed TMZ to take his picture, although "he didn't want us to use his name." Message to that guy: Run, you fool! Run for your life! Message to Suge Knight: we are on your side in this and all other disputes, and don't let anyone tell you any differently. But seriously, Mr. Punchy: Run. Below, two pictures of Suge Knight laid out unconscious, which should not be construed as disrespectful to him in any way:


text:
Freedom in the World
You are here
2012 Scores
Freedom Rating (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Civil Liberties (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Political Rights (1 = best, 7 = worst)
In June 2011, the UN-backed tribunal trying former leaders of the Khmer Rouge placed the remaining four defendants on trial, following the conviction of the first in 2010. But tribunal staff members resigned after the body proved unwilling to investigate other suspects still at large. Critics of the government continued to face legal harassment, while the leadership used a border dispute with Thailand to boost nationalism and consolidate the power of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his family. Separately, new incidents of land grabs by companies with links to the government, along with protests against these practices, continued in the Cambodian countryside.
Cambodia won independence from France in 1953. King Norodom Sihanouk ruled until he was ousted in 1970 by U.S.-backed military commander Lon Nol, and the communist Khmer Rouge (KR) seized power in 1975. Approximately two million of Cambodia's seven million people died from disease, overwork, starvation, or execution under the KR before Vietnamese forces toppled the regime and installed a new communist government in 1979. Fighting continued in the 1980s between the Hanoi-backed government and the allied armies of Sihanouk, the KR, and other political contenders. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords halted open warfare, but the KR continued to wage a low-grade insurgency until its disintegration in the late 1990s.
Since entering government as part of the Vietnamese-backed regime in 1979, Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Cambodian People's Party (CPP) have played a leading role in the country's politics, generally controlling the National Assembly, military, courts, and police. Opposition figures, journalists, and democracy advocates have been given criminal sentences or faced violent attacks by unknown assailants in public spaces.
In the early 1990s, Hun Sen used his control of the security forces to coerce the royalist party, known as Funcinpec, into sharing power, even though Funcinpec won the largest number of seats in the first parliamentary elections after the peace accords, held in 1993. Hun Sen later ousted the prime minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh of Funcinpec, in a 1997 coup, and the CPP won a majority of seats in the 1998 parliamentary elections, which were held under restrictive conditions.
The deeply flawed parliamentary elections in 2003 featured violence and voter intimidation by the CPP. Nevertheless, the party failed to obtain the two-thirds majority required to form a government. Following the formation of a CPP-Funcinpec coalition, Hun Sen turned to silencing opposition leader Sam Rainsy's attacks on government corruption and abuse. After fleeing the country, Rainsy was convicted in absentia of defaming Prince Ranariddh and Hun Sen in 2005. However, under pressure from international donors, Hun Sen negotiated a settlement in 2006 that allowed Rainsy to receive a royal pardon and return to Cambodia in exchange for a public apology and a withdrawal of his allegations.
In the 2008 elections, the CPP took 90 of 123 parliamentary seats, and Hun Sen was reelected as prime minister. Opposition parties rejected the results, citing political intimidation and violence. However, with the opposition divided and unproven in the eyes of voters, and the country enjoying relative political stability and sustained economic growth, the CPP had started to command a measure of popular credibility. Meanwhile, Rainsy returned to exile ahead of a 2010 conviction on charges related to his claims that the government had ceded territory along the border to Vietnam, and he remained outside the country at the end of 2011.
In June 2011, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia began trial proceedings against four high-ranking former KR officials on charges of genocide and other crimes against humanity. The UN-backed tribunal's efforts had been delayed for years by bureaucratic and funding obstacles following its establishment in 2007. In July 2010, the former chief of the Tuol Sleng prison, Kang Kek Ieu (also known as Duch), was found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to 35 years in prison, reduced to 19 years given time served. One of the four remaining defendants, 80-year-old former social affairs minister Ieng Thirith, was found mentally incompetent to stand trial in November 2011, but she remained in detention at year's end pending further evaluations.
While the international judges on the court have sought to charge and try additional suspects, they have been rebuffed by their Cambodian colleagues. Hun Sen allegedly does not want the tribunal to delve too deeply into the past or weaken the prevailing climate of impunity for the powerful; he has publicly called for the tribunal not to investigate any other former KR officials. Human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch have called on the tribunal's investigating judges to step down for failing to effectively conduct investigations of KR suspects. Several tribunal staff members, including a German investigating judge, resigned in 2011 over the body's failure to proceed with two pending cases that had not yet resulted in indictments.
Throughout 2011, the government used a growing controversy over a temple on the disputed border with Thailand to boost nationalism and place more power in the hands of Hun Sen's son, who personally oversaw Cambodian forces on the border. The authorities also took steps to restrict civil society activity. In August, the government started informing local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working on contentious resettlement issues that their activities would now be suspended, while the National Assembly advanced a draft law that would subject NGOs to a registration process and give the government wide latitude to reject their applications. The law was still being debated at the end of the year. Meanwhile, Cambodian courts continued to uphold tough sentences against civil society activists and opposition politicians. In July, an appeals court upheld a two-year sentence against human rights worker Leang Sokchouen for allegedly spreading disinformation. Earlier in the year, security forces had broken up multiple rallies in downtown Phnom Penh that aimed to highlight labor abuses, corruption, and the position of women in Cambodian society. Later in the year, the government sent letters to local NGOs warning and threatening them, and suspended one in August.
Cambodia is not an electoral democracy. Although it holds regular elections, they are conducted under often repressive conditions, and the opposition is hampered by serious legal and physical harassment. The current constitution was promulgated in 1993 by the king, who serves as head of state. The monarchy remains highly revered as a symbol of national unity, but has little political power. Prince Norodom Sihamoni, who lived abroad for much of his life, succeeded his father, King Norodom Sihanouk, in 2004, after the latter abdicated for health reasons. Some palace experts charge that Sihamoni is a virtual prisoner of the government, with no control over his own activities.
The prime minister and cabinet must be approved by a majority vote in the 123-seat National Assembly, whose members are elected by party-list voting to serve five-year terms. The upper house of the bicameral parliament, the Senate, has 61 members, of whom 2 are appointed by the king, 2 are elected by the National Assembly, and 57 are chosen by local legislators. Senators serve six-year terms. Voting is tied to a citizen's permanent resident status in a village, township, or urban district, and this status cannot be changed easily. The CPP's strong influence in rural areas, with its presence of party members and control of local and provincial government officials, gives it an advantage over the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, which finds support mainly in urban centers. Continued economic growth and political patronage in recent years has led to a rise in popular support for the CPP and Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Corruption is a serious problem that hinders economic development and social stability. Many in the ruling elite abuse their positions for private gain. While economic growth in recent years has been sustained by increased investment in mining, forestry, agriculture, textile manufacturing, tourism, hydropower, and real estate, these enterprises frequently involve land grabs by powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and military officers. Repeated efforts by international donors to promote tough anticorruption laws have been stalled and watered down by the government.
The government does not fully respect freedom of speech. Media controls are largely focused on local broadcast outlets. Print journalists are somewhat freer to criticize the government, but the print media reach only about 10 percent of the population. There are many privately owned print and broadcast outlets, including several owned and operated by the CPP and opposition parties, though broadcast licensing processes remain opaque. There are no restrictions on access to foreign broadcasts via satellite. The government has increasingly used lawsuits and criminal prosecution as means of media intimidation over the past three years. A 2010 penal code drew criticism for several vague provisions relating to freedom of expression, including one that criminalizes any action that "affects the dignity" of a public official. The internet is fairly free of government control, though access is largely limited to urban centers.
The majority of Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists and can generally practice their faith freely, but societal discrimination against ethnic Cham Muslims remains a problem. Terrorist attacks by Islamist militants elsewhere in Southeast Asia in recent years have raised new suspicions about Muslims. The government generally respects academic freedom, though criticism of the prime minister and his family is often punished.
The authorities' tolerance for freedoms of association and assembly has declined over the past two years. Civil society groups work on a broad spectrum of issues and offer social services, frequently with funding from overseas. Those that work on social or health issues, as opposed to justice and human rights, generally face less harassment from the state. Public gatherings, protests, and marches occur and are rarely violent. However, the government has used police and other forces to intimidate participants and break up demonstrations with greater frequency. In April 2011, the authorities dispersed several rallies held to commemorate Women's Day, and Sam Rainsy Party workers charged that security forces prevented them from holding rallies in Phnom Penh and other towns on multiple occasions during the year. In September, activists trying to hold a rally to stop the forced resettlement of Phnom Penh residents were severely beaten by police.
Cambodia has a small number of independent unions. Workers have the right to strike, and many have done so to protest low wages and poor or dangerous working conditions. Lack of resources and experience limits union success in collective bargaining, and union leaders report harassment and physical threats. The garment industry has made several compacts with international companies to ensure the fair treatment of workers, but these have not prevented the harassment of union leaders in the industry. Those who led strikes in late 2010 and early 2011 were targeted by the police and frequently detained, putting a damper on union activity among garment workers during 2011.
The judiciary is marred by inefficiency, corruption, and a lack of independence. There is a severe shortage of lawyers, and the system's poorly trained judges are subject to political pressure from the CPP, which has also undermined the Khmer Rouge tribunal. Abuse by law enforcement officers, including illegal detention and the torture of suspects, is common. Jails are seriously overcrowded, and inmates often lack sufficient food, water, and health care. Police, soldiers, and government officials are widely believed to tolerate, or be involved in, the trafficking of guns, drugs, and people, as well as other crimes.
The constitution guarantees the right to freedom of travel and movement, and the government generally respects this right. However, there have been reports of authorities restricting travel for opposition politicians, particularly during election campaigns. The Cambodian government closed the UN refugee center in Phnom Penh in early 2011, making it more difficult for Uighurs from China, Montagnards from Vietnam, and other people fleeing persecution to gain refugee status in Cambodia.
Land and property rights are regularly abused for the sake of private development projects. Over the past several years, tens of thousands of people have been forcibly removed—from both rural and urban areas, and with little or no compensation or relocation assistance—to make room for commercial plantations, mine operations, factories, and high-end office and residential developments. High-ranking officials and their family members are frequently involved in these ventures, alongside international investors. In the most prominent case, thousands of people in central Phnom Penh have been displaced as the lake they lived on is filled in for a development project controlled by a wealthy investor with close ties to the prime minister. In August 2011, representatives of the displaced people protested to complain that they had received no compensation or aid. The government refused to respond to their grievances, and protests continued throughout the year. In December, the government offered to give a small number of residents title to their land, allowing them to stay, presumably in different housing. However, most of the original residents of the lake area had already fled or been forced off their land.
Women suffer widespread economic and social discrimination, lagging behind men in secondary and higher education, and many die from difficulties related to pregnancy and childbirth. Rape and domestic violence are common and are often tied to alcohol and drug abuse by men. Women and girls are trafficked inside and outside of Cambodia for prostitution, and the country has become one of the trafficking centers of Asia, according to a detailed study released in 2011 by Human Rights Watch.


text:
novembre kunzite 03
novembre kunzite 03
Kunzite embodies total unconditional love, allowing you to cultivate gratitude and embrace self-love for how uniquely perfect you are. Known popularly for its powerful ability to heal, Kunzite carries you into a meditational state with ease and encourages clarity and focus through deep presence and self-awareness. Rejects negativity, panic, fear and stress, allowing a protective energy to embrace your aura, lending guidance through transitions and challenging life adjustments. This stone is a powerful healer for those with heavy or suppressed memories, helping to free your heart from blockages that no longer need to be carried and should be processed and released. Focused intently on Universal and Divine love, Kunzite urges you to reclaim trust and enthusiasm, opening your heart to abundant love of self and for all that surrounds you.
Each necklace is 18" long.
Each necklace features a one-of-a-kind stone on a 14 karat gold filled chain, and has been cleansed with selenite, lavender and sage under a full moon.


text:
Subscribe To 105 High-Res Transformers Dark Of The Moon Trailer Screencaps Updates
I've already subscribed
If you've seen the first two Transformers movies you know that a there is a ton of metal and fire flying all around the screening that prevents you from taking everything in. Naturally, this goes for the trailers as well. The theatrical promo for Transformers: Dark of the Moon has just gone online, but there are some frames that the human eye is just not going to be able to process at the right speed. That's why we're here to help.
Below you will find a gallery of 105 images taken directly from the new Michael Bay trailer. Browse the whole thing, but here's a couple of specific highlights we Transformers fans should be interested in:
Optimus Prime can fly! image 1 & image 2
Is this Laserbeak? image 1 & image 2
Bumblebee pulls of an amazing catch. image 1 & image 2
Note the structure behind Optimus in this one. Omega Supreme? image
Get going and browse through the entire batch of amazing images...


text:
10 Hilariously Inappropriate Baby Shower Cakes
Let's be honest, ladies: baby showers tend to turn us into cooing idiots. Suddenly EVERYTHING is "precious," and we find ourselves oohing and aahing over things like diaper cakes (two words that should NEVER be used together, btw) and nightmare-inducing sonogram pictures that by rights should have us calling for an old priest and a young priest.
Not everyone has succumbed to the cute mandate, though; some fight back with the most graphic, crass, and undeniably hilarious shower cakes this side of the "Here I Come!" C-section cake.
Now there's a fresh slice of reality for you: Even the tiny elf baby has soiled himself.
I'm the kind of person who gets way too distracted wondering if this was actually news to the person who got the cake - and if so, HOW. Seriously, think about it.
Ok, you can stop thinking about it now.
No, really. Stop. We have more cakes to look at!
Tired of all the cutesy euphemisms for birth? Then let's get physiological, baby!
Say what you want, but this is STILL less icky than a torso cake.
Speaking of which, nothing screams "snack time" like a naked woman mid-birth, amirite?
I still feel partially responsible for these things; I posted The First Censored Cake Wreck a few years back, and then, bam! Suddenly these "push" cakes are EVERYWHERE.
And as if that's not bad enough, this baker decided I just don't have enough trauma associated with beloved childhood characters:
I've never once wondered what a blow-up doll giving birth would look like, but now I know anyway. THANKS, BAKER. (I also started to wonder what kind of obscene Suessian rhymes she would spout out, and things quickly went from "disturbing" to "I WILL NEVER LEAVE THERAPY.")
Maybe we should just go back to sperm cakes.
But supposing you want a sperm cake that's also adorable? What then?
Admit it: at first you were all, "Whatever, Jen, you're just messing with us." But then you were all, "Omigosh that is totally an adorable sperm cake." Right? Right?
And if you'd like some cupcakes to go with the adorable bow-tied sperm cake:
Oops. Ok, now we're back to creepy.
That was a good run, though. Yep. Remember that cute sperm cake? Yeah. Good times.
Hey, ever wonder what the most intensely awkward inscription for a baby shower cake could be? Yes? (Me, too!!)
Well, WONDER NO MORE:
No, please, DO GO ON.
I desperately want this to be Part One of the shower desserts, you guys. And then this would be Part Two:
[Psycho Shower Music]
Sorry, sorry; I'm just imagining your reaction over here, and it. is. priceless. Did you notice the chocolate sprinkles up there? Did you?
I can't just leave you with that image, though, so allow me to present what I think should immediately become the new gold standard in baby shower congratulations:
And I thought "handmade" was impressive.


text:
Wentworth Miller has come out as gay.
The "Prison Break" star decided it was time to publicly reveal his sexuality after being invited to attend a film festival in Russia.
"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes," Wentworth, 41, says in a letter to Maria Averbakh, director of the St. Petersburg International Film Festival. "However, as a gay man, I must decline.
"I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government," he continued in the letter, posted on GLAAD's website. "The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.
PHOTOS: Same-sex celebrity couples
He also said "if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice."
GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz praised Miller's actions.
"Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians: you are not alone," Cruz said. "As people from across the globe continue to speak out against this horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law."
PHOTOS: See more stars who are openly gay


text:
USD Law Alumni Cindy Davis '93 (JD), Daniel Lamborn '82 (JD), and Dean Benjamini '93 (JD) Named Superior Court Judges
Sacramento (January 2, 2014) – California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed University of San Diego (USD) School of Law alumni Cindy D. Davis, '93' (JD), and Daniel G. Lamborn, '82 (JD), to judgeships in San Diego County Superior Court and Dean Benjamini, '92 (JD), to judgeship in Riverside County Superior Court.
Davis has been a superior court commissioner at the San Diego County Superior Court since 2006. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from USD School of Law and a bachelor of arts from San Diego State University. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Steven R. Denton.
Lamborn has been chief deputy district attorney at the San Diego County District Attorney's Office since 2008. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from USD School of Law and a bachelor of arts from the University of California, Davis. He fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Lisa A. Foster.
Benjamini has been an assistant public defender at the Riverside County Law Offices of the Public Defender since 2013. He was a partner at Benjamini & Benjamini APC from 2005 to 2013. Benjamini earned a Juris Doctor degree from USD School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Sacramento. He fills a vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position.
Read the full press releases from the Office of the Governor:
- Governor Brown Appoints Two to San Diego County Superior Court.
- Governor Brown Appoints Dean Benjamini to Riverside County Superior Court.
About the University of San Diego School of Law
Recognized for the excellence of its faculty, curriculum and clinical programs, the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law enrolls approximately 900 Juris Doctor and graduate law students from throughout the United States and around the world. The law school is best known for its offerings in the areas of business and corporate law, constitutional law, intellectual property, international and comparative law, public interest law, and taxation.
USD School of Law is one of the 81 law schools elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law school graduates. The law school's faculty is a strong group of outstanding scholars and teachers with national and international reputations and currently ranks 23rd worldwide in all-time faculty downloads on the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN). The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, nonprofit, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.
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An artist's concept depicts a thick "doughnut" of dust encircling a quasar, which is a smaller disk of super-hot gas encircling a supermassive black hole. Astronomers recently discovered that a disk like this one contains enough water to fill Earth's oceans 140 trillion times over. The disk encircles a quasar that is billions of light-years away. Its central black hole is billions of times more massive than the Sun, and its surrounding disk produces millions of times more energy than all of the stars in our entire Milky Way galaxy. [NASA/ESA]
You are here
Stellar Chemistry
The stars are chemical factories — they forge new elements in the nuclear furnaces at their cores. A good example is Antares, the bright heart of Scorpius, which is low in the southwest at nightfall.
Antares is so massive that it will forge carbon, oxygen, silicon, iron, and more. At the end of its life it'll explode, creating even more elements. The blast will spread the atoms it created far and wide.
Once the elements are out in space, though, the chemistry is far from over. In fact, the space between stars is also a chemical factory, in the form of giant clouds of gas and dust. The elements within these clouds combine to make molecules.
Astronomers recently discovered molecules of hydrogen peroxide in a cloud that surrounds the star Rho Ophiuchi, which stands a little above Antares. Hydrogen peroxide consists of two atoms of hydrogen and two atoms of oxygen — the same elements that make up water.
And in the far reaches of the universe — about 12 billion light-years away — another team found water itself — more than a hundred million million times more water than in all of Earth's oceans. The water surrounds a supermassive black hole that could be one of the biggest ever discovered.
The water and hydrogen peroxide show that many of the basic building blocks of life are common throughout our galaxy and beyond — all created in the chemical factories of the stars.
Script by Damond Benningfield, Copyright 2011
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Legal Memorandum on Homeschooling in Texas
by Christopher J. Klicka
Updated May 2011
Homeschooling is a popular educational alternative in Texas and throughout the country. It is estimated that nationally, nearly 2 million children are being homeschooled. In Texas, homeschools have been legally recognized as private schools. As long as a homeschool uses a written curriculum and teaches the five core subjects of reading, grammar, math, spelling, and good citizenship, it is legal. See Texas Education Agency, et al v. Leeper, et al, 893 S.W.2d 432 (Tex. 1994). Homeschools do not have to register with the school district, submit to home visits, or submit their curriculum for approval by the school district.
The Leeper case was initiated in March 1985 after approximately 150 innocent homeschool parents were prosecuted as a direct result of school districts relying on a 1981 Texas Education Agency (TEA) policy. This policy stated that "educating a child at home is not the same as private school instruction and therefore, not an acceptable substitute." This, in effect, outlawed homeschooling in Texas.
The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), a national, nonprofit association dedicated to protecting the right of parents to teach their own children at home, joined with several Texas homeschool families and curriculum providers to bring this class action civil rights suit. They sued all the 1,060 school districts in the state and the Texas Education Agency for violating the homeschoolers' civil rights under 42 U.S.C. Section 1988 and Section 37.009 V.T.C.A. Civil Practice and Remedies Code. HSLDA and the other homeschool plaintiffs retained attorney Shelby Sharpe of Fort Worth to file suit and handle the case. In April 1987, the Tarrant County District Court ruled in favor of the homeschoolers. Subsequently, the state and school districts appealed.
Trial Court Decision in Leeper Legalizes Homeschools
In Leeper, the trial court established that homeschools are completely legal and described activity at home that would constitute a school. The court stated that a homeschool is a legally operating private school if the school-aged children involved are:
pursuing under the direction of a parent or parents...in a bona fide (good faith, not a sham or subterfuge) manner, a curriculum consisting of books, workbooks, other written materials...or any combination of the preceding from either (1) a private or parochial school which exists apart from the child's home or (2) which has been developed or obtained from any source [as long as] said curriculum [is] designed to meet basic academic goals of reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and a study of good citizenship1...
Leeper, p. 10.
Therefore, if a homeschool fits the above description, all school districts in the state of Texas were enjoined by the Court from initiating charges against the family under either the truancy code or the child in need of supervision statute.
Therefore, any private school operating in the home is a bona fide private school provided that, upon the school district's request, the parents assure that 1) the homeschool uses a written curriculum, and that 2) the curriculum covers reading, spelling, grammar, math, and a course in good citizenship. No other requirements apply to homeschoolers.
Under Texas law, then, a private homeschool is considered legal merely upon the assurance by the homeschool parents that the minimal standards enunciated in the Leeper case are being met. The school then has the burden to prove that the family, who makes such an assurance, is a fraud. In the meantime, the school district has no authority to monitor the homeschool nor does it have any prior approval authority. If a school district has evidence that a homeschool family is lying and really does not have a written curriculum in the five required subjects, then and only then could the family be properly pursued under truancy.
Concerning standardized testing (for proof of grade level), the court unequivocally declared:
... this Judgment is not to be interpreted as requiring standardized tests in order for there to be compliance with the interpretation made by the Court of section 21.033(a)(1).
Leeper, p. 13.
Court of Appeals Decision in Leeper
On November 27, 1991, the Texas Court of Appeals completely affirmed this ruling on appeal in Texas Education Agency, et al v. Leeper, et al, 843 S.W.2d 41 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth, 1991). The Court restated and confirmed all aspects of the trial decision. The Court stated that the Texas Education Agency "deprived the homeschool parents of equal protection under the law" since their private schools in the home were unfairly discriminated against "on the sole basis of location within the home," rather than outside the home. Id., at 51.
The Court of Appeals emphasized,
We therefore hold that such ground of difference does not have a fair and substantial relation to the object sought, namely, the education of all school-age children in either a public or a private or parochial school, with the result being that all parents of children receiving education in private and parochial school were not treated alike...thus depriving the homeschool parents of equal protection under the law. (Id., emphasis added)
In other words, any attempt by the state to treat private schools which meet in a school building with many students differently than a private school which meets in individual homes is a denial of the parents' equal protection rights under the law. In Texas, therefore, parents who are teaching their children in compliance with the requirements of private schools are legal. To refuse to recognize them as legal is to deny them equal protection under the law. The Court added that homeschooling has historically always been a legitimate form of education in Texas.
Furthermore, the Court of Appeals in Leeper upheld the lower court's permanent injunction which prohibits "all school officers from initiating prosecutions" under the compulsory attendance law or juvenile code against homeschooling parents.
Texas Supreme Court Decision in Leeper
On June 15, 1994, the Texas Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision in favor of the homeschool plaintiffs in Texas Education Agency et. al. v. Leeper, et. al 893 S.W.2d 432 (Tex. 1994). This decision by the highest court in Texas completely affirmed the Texas Court of Appeals decision in 1991 and the Tarrant County District Court decision in Leeper reached in 1987.
The Court reiterated the history of homeschooling in Texas stating that at the beginning of this century "no more than ten percent of school-age children attended public schools, according to the uncontradicted evidence at trial and as there were few private and parochial schools in the state, many children were taught at home." The Court emphasized that from 1915 until 1981 "a child pursuing a bona fide course of study at home designed to meet the basic educational goals of reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and good citizenship was considered to be attending a private school."
The Court also emphasized that the compulsory attendance law of 1915 "did not end home schooling...and the state never attempted to prohibit or even restrict home schooling or to allege a violation of the compulsory attendance law based solely on a child being taught at home until 1981." The Court then pointed out that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in that year had a staff attorney write an opinion which erroneously stated that "the compulsory student attendance laws of the state of Texas did not permit students to be taught at home." This of course began the rash of prosecutions across the state in the early 1980s. The Court clearly condemned this opinion of the TEA.
Courts at all levels of the Leeper case formally recognized the right of parents to homeschool and limited the state's power to monitor homeschooling. Homeschools are legally presumed to be bona fide if the parents provide an assurance that the five subjects delineated in Leeper (reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and the study of good citizenship) are being taught.
Once this assurance is received by the school district, absent probable cause indicating that the school is a sham, the school district has no further authority to investigate, approve, monitor, or in any other way attempt to determine if the "school" is a bona fide homeschool.
Commissioner of Education Memorandum on Homeschooling
On October 4, 1995, Mike Moses, Commissioner of Education, issued a memo on homeschools stating, "It is the current opinion of the Commissioner of Education and the Texas Education Agency Legal Counsel that a written statement of assurance, provided by the parents to the school district, meets the requirements of Leeper and verifies compliance with compulsory attendance laws."
Texas Legislature Recognizes Homeschooling
In 1989, the Texas legislature exempted private and parochial schools from new requirements for schools, and in the process, confirmed that the term "private school" includes homeschools: "Nothing in this act applies to students in attendance upon a private or parochial school, which includes home schools, in accordance with § 25.085, Education Code." See Acts 1989, 71st Leg. CH. 658, § 11.
Additionally, the Texas Legislature requires state agencies to protect parents' rights:
"The department [of Protective and Regulatory Services] is the state agency with primary responsibility for...providing family support and family preservation services which respect the fundamental right of parents to control the education and upbringing of their children." Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 40.002 (b)(2).
"A state agency may not adopt rules or policies or take any other action that violates the fundamental right and duty of a parent to direct the upbringing of the parent's child." Tex. Fam. Code § 151.005.
Homeschooling is legal in Texas. Homeschools can operate as private schools provided that they use a written curriculum and teach math, spelling, grammar, reading, and good citizenship. School districts have no authority to approve or disapprove curriculum. Homeschools do not have to register, be tested, or hold any specific qualifications. Texas is a model state in upholding parental rights.
1. At trial, the testimony disclosed that the study of good citizenship is a civics course.
Prepared by Christopher J. Klicka, J.D. (Educational and Constitutional law attorney) Senior Counsel for Home School Legal Defense Association. Copyright August 1987. Updated May 2011 all rights reserved. May be reproduced only with permission. THIS MEMORANDUM DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE GIVING OF LEGAL ADVICE, EXCEPT TO THE MEMBERS OF HOME SCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION.


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Who are these Cisco Security Intelligence Engineers?
Protecting data, resources, and assets, including audio-video (A/V) content and communications no matter where it resides or travels on Cisco-powered networks can be a daunting undertaking to say the least. People ultimately are responsible for making this happen. With this thought in mind, here are a few questions that frequently challenge someone with this type of responsibility:
- How can one ensure that the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the core network keeps pace with the introduction of new technologies, while managing the continuous stream of disclosures on existing product vulnerabilities and emerging threats?
- What preemptive or corrective actions can one take to mitigate or remediate known or potential weaknesses in your network operations?
- What trusted informational resources are available that we can apply in the design, operation and optimization of a secure network, and where can this information be found?
This article provides personal insight into a specialized role residing within Cisco's Applied Intelligence team, a team which was highlighted in the Network World feature article (page 3), "Inside Cisco Security Intelligence Operations." The role is that of the Security Intelligence Engineer (SIE), a role which focuses on researching and producing actionable intelligence, vulnerability analysis, and threat validation that typically leads to providing answers and solutions to the challenges posed by these questions.
The SIE drives innovation in internal security programs that ultimately deliver security intellectual property to customers. Furthermore, the SIE has the expertise and deep security knowledge necessary to deliver Applied Mitigation Bulletins for Cisco Security Advisories and Responses, Technical White papers, Microsoft Security Bulletins, and other vendor security advisories.
As an educator and thought leader, the SIE may provide security training and knowledge sharing at industry conferences such as Cisco Live and Black Hat. The SIE team has produced several mobile learning modules that can be used on most popular hand-held devices. For example, you might be interested in the Introduction to Network Security learning module that you can use to sharpen your security skills or prepare for a related security certification. The SIE also works on projects that enable additional security capabilities within Cisco services and products. An example of these efforts is evident in security services such as the Cisco IntelliShield Alert Manager Service and other intellectual capital that contribute to providing comprehensive security protection and mitigation solutions to customers, partners, and the networking community.
Similar to my previous blog article on the Cisco Security Analyst, the following section is taken from an interview that I conducted with the goal of providing prospective engineers a closer look into a day in the life of a Cisco Security Intelligence Engineer and also helping those of you pondering a career in the information security field.
What range of background does a Security Intelligence Engineer role have?
A promising engineer must understand core networking in order to properly understand the aspects to take into consideration and what factors are in play when it comes to providing security solutions for an environment. As the field of IT has changed in general and roles are more focused and specialist-oriented, SIEs bring a deep knowledge from other areas such as Unified Communications, Data Center, and Wireless. Non-technically, the SIE's foundation is solidified with a holistic view of security, complemented by demonstrating adaptability and the ability to learn and reverse engineer new technologies.
What does an SIE do to come up to speed?
The SIE should be following the research community, industry and security forums. Stay passionate, be a sponge, learning from those in the field and around you. Ground yourself in understanding networking and the encompassing technologies, how it works at its core, and stay up to date with the direction of the field.
What do you like most about your role? (i.e. Why would you want to do this?)
It entails state-of-the-art information, learning and working on contemporary issues and concerns. The all-encompassing nature of the field provides new and constant opportunities to learn and grow. This exposes the SIE to a multitude of technologies and arenas in which security applies. Therefore, the opportunity exists to continue to grow and challenge yourself each day.
Can you share some insights on what your day-to-day core activities involve?
We research what is happening in the world of security such as current events. We interact with peers, colleagues and customers to seek areas of need or voids that need to be filled. We author, edit, and publish security collateral (i.e. white papers, training material, mitigation solutions, and security notifications). Testing, analyzing threats and mitigations are key activities, as well as collaborating with other parties in various security projects.
How does your day usually begin?
We research various security-oriented informational sites and other security mediums like podcasts and subscription-based services, to see what is occurring in the field. In addition, it is a good practice to create a to-do list or tasks for the day. If an incident has not escalated, we'll go about the regular assigned tasks and projects.
What is a key aspect (qualitative or quantitative) of being successful?
It is key to understand how to balance daily tasks that could be measured qualitatively and/or quantitatively. These two approaches provide the correct level of contextual information. Also key is the drive to learn new things and work on them.
Are there any other aspects of your job that are especially essential as you work with your team members or others that depend on your work?
Time management is a critical skill. Be mindful of knowing when less is more by not expounding in communications beyond what is necessary, as there are many situations, such as non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that should not be discussed. It is also important to keep focused without allowing the pressure or gravity of a situation to adversely affect you (i.e. knowing when to let go). Look at problems as objectively as possible and not emotionally. As always, ensure you create and keep the ability to balance your day and your life.
What else can you recommend to others regarding optimizing their practices based on your experience?
Leave the ego at home and be open to ideas, thoughts, and solutions. This will allow one to open their vision and understand the multitude of perspectives that exist. Research is essential to staying current, gaining thought-provoking insights on, and understanding the diversity of areas faced in this field. Become an expert in at least one technology area such as data center, firewalls, security policy, etc. If you can exert your expertise in one area, it is a stepping stone for many others. Ensure you have a deep understanding of networking at its core, as it will continue to be foundational to this field. Approach security early enough in your architecture, as security is part of the design, implementation and the operation phases of building a network.
What do you like to do for fun when you are not a practicing Security Intelligence Engineer?
One of our SIEs knows how to switch gears out of the office as an avid outdoorsman and who also enjoys activities such as motorsports involving building, servicing, upgrading and racing motorcycles, cars, and anything else with an engine.
I encourage you to check out the security intelligence resources produced by Cisco's team of SIEs, which explain how Cisco network security technology can be leveraged to protect against security threats. These and other resources available from Cisco include, but are not limited to, providing preventative and event-specific guidance.
In other articles, I would like to cover similar perspectives on other key roles in security management, like the IPS Signature Developer on Cisco's IPS Signature Development Team, as well as the PSIRT Incident Manager. Both of these roles are highly focused on security, yet complementary in nature.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.
1 Comments
Shiva Persaud
Great read Mike.


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Tour bus crash kills at least 7 in California
Last Updated 11:25 a.m. ET
YUCAIPA, Calif. At least seven people were killed and 38 injured Sunday when a tour bus careened out of control while traveling down a Southern California mountain road, struck a car, flipped and plowed into a pickup truck, authorities said.}
The accident occurred around 6:30 p.m. about 80 miles east of Los Angeles and left State Route 38 littered with debris, the bus sideways across the two lanes and its front end crushed.
Authorities lowered the death count from 8 to 7 on Monday.
Emergency crews worked to free passengers who were trapped in the bus, which was returning to Tijuana, Mexico, California Highway Patrol spokesman Mario Lopez said.
A representative of the Mexican consulate was on-scene, reports CBS Los Angeles Station KCBS, citing the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
The violence of the crash and severity of the injuries made for a chaotic scene, and authorities had a difficult time determining how many people were injured or killed. Lopez said at least seven and perhaps 10 were dead, and 38 transported to hospitals.
Caltrans spokeswoman Michelle Profant said the scene was shocking.
"It's really a mess up there with body parts," she said.
The bus driver survived and told investigators the bus suffered brake problems as it headed down the mountain, Lopez said. It rear-ended a sedan and flipped, then struck a pickup truck pulling a trailer.
Lettering on the bus indicated that it was operated by Scapadas Magicas LLC, a company based in National City, Calif. Federal transportation records show that the company is licensed to carry passengers for interstate travel and that it had no crashes in the past two years.
A call to the company was not immediately returned.
Jordi Garcia, a manager for InterBus Tours, said his company ran Sunday's trip. He told U-T San Diego that 38 people departed Tijuana at 5 a.m. for a day of skiing at Big Bear.
"The information that we have is that the bus' brakes failed and the accident occurred," he said.
Route 38 runs through the San Bernardino National Forest and leads to Big Bear. The accident occurred as the bus was headed south and leaving the forest.
Patients were taken to several area hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday it was sending a team to the crash.
The California crash comes less than a day after a bus carrying 42 high school students and their chaperones slammed into an overpass in Boston. Massachusetts state police said 35 people were injured and that the driver had directed the bus onto a road with a height limit.


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FIVB Women's World Championship Drawing of Lots: 10 days and counting
Lausanne, Switzerland, February 28, 2014 – World
Championship fever is set to grip the volleyball community as the clock counts
down to the Drawing of Lots for the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championships
Italy 2014, scheduled to take place on March 10 at the Farnese Theatre in
The Women's World Championship Drawing of Lots will begin at 16:30 local time and will be broadcast on RAI Sport and live streamed on www.fivb.org. The Women's World Championship trophy, which was specially designed for this year's much awaited tournament, will also be unveiled.
To date 17 out of 24 teams have earned their tickets to the Women's World Championship, with Tunisia becoming the most recent country from Africa to join the tournament line up. The country filling the second vacancy available to the African continent will be decided this weekend at the last qualification tournament currently taking place in Algeria.
The five qualifying tournaments in the NORCECA confederation (each with four teams) will be played in May with hosts Cuba (May 5 to 11), USA, Canada, Dominican Republic (all from May 13 to 19) and Puerto Rico (May 20 to 26). The winner of each group will qualify for the World Championship, while the group runners-up go through to a play-off for the final place with six teams from June 2 to 9 in Trinidad.
The 24 teams will be divided into four pools of six teams, which will be a round-robin system over five days – three matches per day - with four cities (Rome, Trieste, Bari and Verona) hosting a pool each.
The top four teams of each pool will advance to the second round (in Bari, Trieste, Verona and Modena), where the 16 teams will be split into two pools of eight (top four teams of Pool A and D will play in Pool E, top four of Pool B and Pool C will play in Pool F), with the top three of each pool advancing to the third round.
The top three teams from the two second-round pools will advance to the third round with the winners, placed in each pool, while the second and third will be drawn. The third and final round will consist of a round-robin system, with the top two teams of each pool advancing to the semi-finals before the final takes place in Milan on October 12.
The FIVB Volleyball World Championships are a quadrennial event. Russia will be looking to add a third consecutive title to their hat-trick of back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2010.
Invitation to the Drawing of Lots for the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship Italy 2014