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Thursday, July 14, 2011
Is This The Final Phase of the Rebuild?
Things are starting to look up as it pertains to the state of the franchise. The roster, as it currently exists, is comprised entirely of NHL-level talent. There's no line of Hanson-Bozak-Stalberg, fresh off of seasons in the NCAA. There's no pressure for Kadri-like rookies who need pro-level experience to step into the lineup immediately. Even Joe Colborne, who was drafted in 2008, is likely to get some more AHL seasoning before stepping into the NHL. This wouldn't have been the case a few short years ago.
Nowhere is this more evident than on defense where our opening day roster should be something to the effect of Aulie-Phaneuf, Schenn-Liles, Gunnarsson-Franson, with Komisarek in the pressbox. This means that both Jesse Blacker and Jake Gardiner (who impressed in prospect camp this summer) will both play heavy AHL minutes and get strong tutelage from Marlies coach Dallas Eakins.
Forwards Greg McKegg and Jerry D'Amigo will start the season with the Marlies alongside Colborne, while Brad Ross is expected to play one more season in the CHL.
There's no rush to see this year's first rounders Tyler Biggs or Stuart Percy in the NHL.
All of that is really just a convoluted way of saying "we have depth". Looking at all this depth, I think this roster is due for one more fairly significant turnover.
Each year, Burke has made some major moves to pickup pieces he likes. His first major acquisition was Phil Kessel and whether you like the deal, hate the deal, or haven't yet made up your mind, Phil Kessel is a player with three consecutive 30 goal seasons at the age of 23.
The next big move was for Dion Phaneuf and Keith Aulie. Matt Stajan, Ian White, Niklas Hagman and Jamal Mayers were all classified as depth guys on this team. Hagman and White were both considered to have a little bit of extra potential and were positive trade value guys to be sure while Stajan and Mayers were spare parts.
Last season saw some NHL calibre players out and futures in. Kaberle, Versteeg, and Beauchemin became Gardiner, Colborne, Biggs, and Percy. To some extent, Colborne and Gardiner were a gamble. Both guys had fallen on the depth charts as Ryan Spooner became Boston's goldenboy among forward prospects and Jake Gardiner was surpassed in Anaheim's organization by Wisconsin teammate Justin Schultz. Since the trades, each has begun to show the kind of game that saw them drafted 16th and 17th overall respectively.
If you look at our system, there are a lot of names who have worked out quite well. Jesse Blacker, Jake Gardiner, Joe Colborne, Greg McKegg and Nazem Kadri aren't far away from being fulltime NHL'ers. This means we have a bit of a logjam of skaters and there's likely to be a shakeup over the next year.
Likely candidates to move seem to be Mikhail Grabovski who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He's been one of my favorite Leafs of the Burke-era, don't get me wrong, but he was a Fletcher acquisition and not a Burke one and with Bozak and Connolly both under contract for two years and Colborne poised to make the leap to the NHL, it seems Grabbo's days as a Leaf may be numbered. He's simply too good to be a third line center.
Nazem Kadri has been a bit of an enigma since being drafted. He's performed very well at the CHL and AHL levels but has been a mixed-bag at the NHL level so far. Even given his inconsistent play, you'd think that he projects as a guy that will play the wing on one of the top two lines a year from now. This means that one of Lupul, Kulemin or MacArthur would need to be moved elsewhere. I sincerely hope that Kulemin stays as I feel that he's probably our best all-around forward. Having said that, the rumours of Philly's interest in Kulemin mean that the rest of league has noticed his strong play as well and he likely has the most trade value of the three.
J-M Liles will be an interesting guy to keep an eye on as the season unfolds. He was acquired for a 2nd round pick which may mean that Burke has an interest in keeping him around as more than just a one year stop-gap. If that's the case, then Komisarek, Gardiner, Aulie, Franson, Gunnarsson, and Blacker will be fighting over 3 defense slots. Komisarek's deal is likely one we're stuck with, and is certainly not one that would have any trade value, but each of the remaining players would certainly carry value that would put them in the range of where Ian White was at the time he was dealt.
From a GM standpoint, this season will be about creating space in the roster for the prospects that were acquired last year. I expect that Burke will try to package some of the existing roster players for an upgrade at one position (likely center) thereby freeing up roster spots and hopefully adding a piece to our top-six forwards. A package of Grabovski, MacArthur and Gunnarsson for example would carry considerably more value than the package which brought Phaneuf to Toronto. If you can find a team that is looking to divest themselves of a large longterm deal and entice them with the calibre of young-but-established NHL talent we could offer then a large deal isn't out of the question.
I'm going to do it one more time before I stop bringing it up; Paul Stastny would be a great fit. If Colorado wanted to get out from the length of his deal and ensure that Matt Duchene gets his reps as a number one center, the Leafs would be a good trade partner. Grabovski, MacArthur, Kulemin and all the Leafs' young defensemen are on reasonable, short-term contracts and this may well appeal to a team on a budget like the Avs. Colorado also dealt their first round pick to the Washington Capitals which provides a little added impetus to ensure that the team doesn't flounder into one of the lottery positions come draft time. If they could add significant depth and get out from the length of Stastny's deal, without adding much in the way of salary then there might be a deal to be made.
Whether it's Stastny or anyone else, the Leafs now have the depth on their roster as well as in their system to start fishing for some high-end players. More than that, it's almost imperative that Burke move some bodies to start making space for the blossoming prospects. This year is shaping up to be the most important of Burke's tenure as GM and if all goes well, it may be the final phase of his rebuild.
Be sure to check us out on Twitter where I'll awe you with my witticisms and keep you apprised of interviews, trades and other stuffs. @bcphockeyblog
10 comments:
mckegg can't play in the A next year, not old enough
- July 15, 2011 at 9:33 AM
- Curt S said...
Actually he's already played a pair of games in the AHL after signing his pro-deal at the end of last season. Here's the link;
http://theahl.com/stats/player.php?id=4137 - July 15, 2011 at 9:57 AM
Good Article Bud, however we all know that there is never a guarantee of a prospect developing to his potential, but the cupboard does feel more full....
- July 15, 2011 at 10:35 AM
- AlanInVancouverBC said...
Colorado is about $3 million under the cap floor. They can't drop Stastney with his $6 million. They'd be $9 million under.
- July 15, 2011 at 10:36 AM
- Curt S said...
Right, but if they were to add, say, Grabovski, Kulemin and Gunnarsson then it would be almost a perfect dollar for dollar swap in year 1.
The Avs have to re-sign almost their entire roster in 2012-13 including Matt Duchene, Erik Johnson and Ryan O'Reilly. I don't suspect they'd have much trouble reaching the floor given all the guys they need to ink. - July 15, 2011 at 10:54 AM
Really informative, however I would sooner see MacArthur go in a package than Kulemin. I know that may not be what the other team would require, but to me Kulemin is the essence of a really good working winger in the Ron Ellis mold(I am old enough to remember him).
- July 15, 2011 at 12:54 PM
- Bower Power said...
He's played a pair of AHL games, but that was after the Otters were eliminated (April 9 and 10, if you use the AHL's game by game stats). He was signed to a pro contract, but by starting next year in the CHL, the contract will be differed and will slide back for another year.
He'll be 19 going in to the 11-12 year. If you're drafted by the CHL, you need to be at least 20 to play in the AHL (this would be your "over age year" in the CHL), as part of the CHL-AHL transfer agreement.
McKegg has to be in the CHL, and is not AHL eligible. - July 15, 2011 at 12:55 PM
- Curt S said...
@Bower Power
Ok, I thought that it was 19 and I also thought that once you'd played in the AHL you were ineligible to return to the CHL, but that wouldn't make sense because that's what happened to D'Amigo last year. - July 15, 2011 at 1:23 PM
- Unknown said...
You even left out what I think is one of the Leafs most promising prospects in Matt Fratin. Of the forward prospects I'd put him at 2 or 3
- July 16, 2011 at 1:34 AM
We should focus all trade possibilities with Tampa Bay for Steven Stamkos. Then, we would have a young well seasoned team for many years. Booyashaka! UFA like Stamkos is rare. The opportunity is knocking on Burke's door and he must show Leaf fans their endeavour. The solution is simple: Learn from the Brad Richards sweeptake...... structure the deal/contract to persuade Stamkos and company to join the greatest. Get r' done, please.
- July 16, 2011 at 4:10 PM


text:
I found myself writing this:
.. and this is before we consider mathematics proper.
It seemed like a natural kind of thing to write, but I couldn't find an example of it. I get the impression it's OK to use it in this way; to mean the major mathematical schools in this case (rather than people who just do mathematics).
Is there any objection to this?

subset: commoncrawl


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Owner: EMC Insurance Companies
Architectural and Engineering Design Services: BBS Architects | Engineers
Construction Completed: 1997
Project Data: 430,000 SF
Construction Cost: $53,000,000
Client Need:
EMC expanded their downtown Des Moines location by adding this corporate high-rise adjacent to their existing headquarters building. They sought to achieve a bold and sophisticated image through the building design.
BBS Approach:
The sculptural expression was developed to take advantage of the building's location within the skyline. Viewed from the west, the angled roof acts to counter the gradual decline of heights from north to south along the downtown skyline. Viewed from the south, the higher tower face establishes a strong figural identity for the EMC complex.
Project Results:
- 430,000 SF expansion
- 20-story office tower plus three-story support facility
- Addition of three new skywalks
- Two-level underground parking facility
- Sophisticated cladding technology
- Cutting-edge mechanical/electrical system
- Advanced energy-conservation design:
- Thermal storage
- Low temperature air distribution
- High-efficiency (R-7) windows
Industry Recognition:
- When constructed, the EMC tower was the largest US installation of innovative "rainscreen" system
- Awarded First Place in regional technology by the American Society of Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
- Rob Hedgepeth, P.E., CCCA,


text:
Thai Hot Pot Serving Bowl with Lid from Crocodile brand is unique Thai cookware. Made from high quality aluminum. It is a hot pot with a chimney in the middle. It is prefect cookware for serving hot soups like Tom Yum, Tom Kha or any hot clear soup. It comes with the option of a 7 oz. can of Sterno gel Chafing fuel. Light 2 tablespoons of chafing fuel in the chimney will keep the soup hot. It is 22cm in diameter. Product of Thailand.
Thai Hot Pot (Tom Yum/ Suki) Serving Bowl
- Brand: Thailand
- Product Code: 91014
- Availability: In Stock
Related Products
Tags: Kitchenware


text:
The EVOC EXPLORER PRO is a versatile bike touring backpack for unlimited bike adventures. With enough room for storage and dialed compartment management, everything you'd need on tour has its space, exactly where you need it. The AIR FLOW CONTACT SYSTEM of the bike backpack offers an outstanding carrying comfort through maximum back ventilation and absolute load neutrality.
- Neutral load transmission "Body Hugging"
- Extra wide Hip wings with large zipper compartments
- Roll-Bottom for internal separation or volume adjustment
- Includes separate Wash Pouch
Part Numbers
Option | UPC | MPN | Store SKU |
Black / 26L | 04250450716570 | 100211100 | EVO31150528K |


text:
The Rock Poster Society will present the Festival of Rock posters at Golden Gate Park's Hall of Flowers on Saturday, October 28, in San Francisco, near the corner of Ninth and Lincoln.
Featured poster artists include: Stanley Mouse, Chuck Sperry, Wes Wilson, Emek, Bonnie MacLean, Marq Spusta, Victor Moscoso, Jim Pollock, Jim Mazza, Lee Conklin, The Chambers Project, Ida Griffin, AJ Masthay, David Singer, Randy Tuten, David DeAndrea, Chris Shaw, Alexandra Fischer, Carolyn Ferris, classicposters.com / Mike Storeim, Gary Houston, Tea Lautrec Litho, concertposterauction.com / Brad Kelly, JC Hall / idealposters.com, John Seabury, Alan Forbes (secretserpents), Justin McNeal (secretserpents), Paul Getchell, Rick Savel, Shane Grogg, Perry Pfeffer, Gregg Gordon, John Howard, Norman Orr, Mari Tepper, Kris Mikkelson, Pat Ryan, Vince Dugar, (Jerry Miller of Moby Grape will be hanging, with Pat and Vince from 1:00 to 4:00), SF Rockposters, D King Gallery, Christopher Peterson, Ben Van Meter, Sal Dichiera / Amazing Adventures, Cliff Yamasaki, Hakes Americana, John Bellas, Eric King, Wayne Espinosa, Sherwood Donahue, Mike Dubois, Golden Road Gallery, Psychedelic Art Exchange, Dave Hunter Family, Richard Rodman, The Bill Graham Foundation, and David Byrd.
Doors open at 10am and the show runs until 6pm. From 10am–11am, admission during the first hour is $20 for non-TRPS members. Admission for TRPS members is $5, but your membership needs to be current. Bring your card at entrance or renew or join there! From 11am–3pm admission is $10 for non-TRPS members and $5 for TRPS members, and from 3pm-6pm, admission is FREE to all.


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Discover how a bimodal integration strategy can address the major data management challenges facing your organization today.
Get the Report →DataBind Controls to Salesforce Data in Delphi
DataBind to Salesforce data in Delphi with standard data access components and controls.
The CData ODBC Driver for Salesforce supports the ODBC standard to enable integration of live Salesforce data with visual form designers and other rapid development tools in Delphi. The ODBC driver simplifies data access strategies for applications that share a single codebase like Delphi by providing a single API for database development. This article shows how to how to connect to Salesforce data and query data from a simple visual component library (VCL) application, as well as from Delphi code.
Create a Connection to Salesforce Data
If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.
There are several authentication methods available for connecting to Salesforce: Login, OAuth, and SSO. The Login method requires you to have the username, password, and security token of the user.
If you do not have access to the username and password or do not wish to require them, you can use OAuth authentication.
SSO (single sign-on) can be used by setting the SSOProperties, SSOLoginUrl, and TokenUrl connection properties, which allow you to authenticate to an identity provider. See the "Getting Started" chapter in the help documentation for more information.
You can then follow the steps below to use the Data Explorer to create a FireDAC connection to Salesforce data.
- In a new VCL Forms application, expand the FireDAC node in the Data Explorer.
- Right-click the ODBC Data Source node in the Data Explorer.
- Click Add New Connection.
- Enter a name for the connection.
- In the FireDAC Connection Editor that appears, set the DataSource property to the name of the ODBC DSN for Salesforce.
Create VCL Applications with Connectivity to Salesforce Data
Follow the procedure below to start executing queries to Salesforce data from a simple VCL application that displays the results of a query in a grid.
Drop a TFDConnection component onto the form and set the following properties:
- ConnectionDefName: Select the FireDAC connection to Salesforce data.
- Connected: Select True from the menu and, in the dialog that appears, enter your credentials.
Drop a TFDQuery component onto the form and set the properties below:
- Connection: Set this property to the TFDConnection component, if this component is not already specified.
SQL: Click the button in the SQL property and enter a query. For example:
SELECT Contact.Name, SUM(Account.AnnualRevenue) FROM Contact, Account GROUP BY Contact.Name
- Active: Set this property to true.
Drop a TDataSource component onto the form and set the following property:
- DataSet: In the menu for this property, select the name of the TFDQuery component.
Drop a TDBGrid control onto the form and set the following property:
- DataSource: Select the name of the TDataSource.
- Drop a TFDGUIxWaitCursor onto the form — this is required to avoid a run-time error.
Execute Commands to Salesforce with FireDAC Components
You can use the TFDConnection and TFQuery components to execute queries to Salesforce data. This section provides Salesforce data-specific examples of executing queries with the TFQuery component.
Connect to Salesforce Data
To connect to the data source, set the Connected property of the TFDConnection component to true. You can set the same properties from code:
FDConnection1.ConnectionDefName := 'mysalesforce';
FDConnection1.Connected := true;
Create Parameterized Queries
Parameterized resources can improve performance: Preparing statements is costly in system resources and time. The connection must be active and open while a statement is prepared. By default, FireDAC prepares the query to avoid recompiling the same query over and over. To disable statement preparation, set ResourceOptions.DirectExecute to True; for example, when you need to execute a query only once.
Execute a Query
To execute a query that returns a result set, such as a select query, use the Open method. The Open method executes the query, returns the result set, and opens it. The Open method will return an error if the query does not produce a result set.
FDQuery1.Open('select * from Account where Name = :Name',['GenePoint']);
To execute a query that does not return a result set, such as a delete, use the ExecSQL method. The ExecSQL method will return an error if the query returns a result set. To retrieve the count of affected rows, use the TFD.RowsAffected property.
FDQuery1.ExecSQL('delete from Account where Id= :myId',['x12345']);
i := FDQuery1.RowsAffected;
Related Articles
Below you can find other articles for using the CData ODBC Driver with RAD Studio, Delphi, and C++ Builder.


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Query performance can be affected by many things. Some of these can be manipulated by the user, while others are fundamental to the underlying design of the system. This chapter provides some hints about understanding and tuning PostgreSQL performance.
PostgreSQL devises a query plan for each query it is given. Choosing the right plan to match the query structure and the properties of the data is absolutely critical for good performance, so the system includes a complex planner that tries to select good plans. You can use the EXPLAIN command to see what query plan the planner creates for any query. Plan-reading is an art that deserves an extensive tutorial, which this is not; but here is some basic information.
The structure of a query plan is a tree of plan nodes. Nodes at the bottom level are table scan nodes: they return raw rows from a table. There are different types of scan nodes for different table access methods: sequential scans, index scans, and bitmap index scans. If the query requires joining, aggregation, sorting, or other operations on the raw rows, then there will be additional nodes "atop" the scan nodes to perform these operations. Again, there is usually more than one possible way to do these operations, so different node types can appear here too. The output of EXPLAIN has one line for each node in the plan tree, showing the basic node type plus the cost estimates that the planner made for the execution of that plan node. The first line (topmost node) has the estimated total execution cost for the plan; it is this number that the planner seeks to minimize.
Here is a trivial example, just to show what the output looks like. [1]
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM tenk1; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------- Seq Scan on tenk1 (cost=0.00..458.00 rows=10000 width=244)
The numbers that are quoted by EXPLAIN are:
Estimated start-up cost (Time expended before output scan can start, e.g., time to do the sorting in a sort node.)
Estimated total cost (If all rows were to be retrieved, which they may not be: for example, a query with a LIMIT clause will stop short of paying the total cost of the Limit plan node's input node.)
Estimated number of rows output by this plan node (Again, only if executed to completion.)
Estimated average width (in bytes) of rows output by this plan node
The costs are measured in units of disk page fetches; that is, 1.0 equals one sequential disk page read, by definition. (CPU effort estimates are made too; they are converted into disk-page units using some fairly arbitrary fudge factors. If you want to experiment with these factors, see the list of run-time configuration parameters in Section 17.6.2.)
It's important to note that the cost of an upper-level node includes the cost of all its child nodes. It's also important to realize that the cost only reflects things that the planner cares about. In particular, the cost does not consider the time spent transmitting result rows to the client, which could be an important factor in the true elapsed time; but the planner ignores it because it cannot change it by altering the plan. (Every correct plan will output the same row set, we trust.)
Rows output is a little tricky because it is not the number of rows processed or scanned by the plan node. It is usually less, reflecting the estimated selectivity of any WHERE-clause conditions that are being applied at the node. Ideally the top-level rows estimate will approximate the number of rows actually returned, updated, or deleted by the query.
Returning to our example:
This is about as straightforward as it gets. If you do
SELECT relpages, reltuples FROM pg_class WHERE relname = 'tenk1';
you will find out that tenk1 has 358 disk pages and 10000 rows. So the cost is estimated at 358 page reads, defined as costing 1.0 apiece, plus 10000 * cpu_tuple_cost which is typically 0.01 (try SHOW cpu_tuple_cost).
Now let's modify the query to add a WHERE condition:
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM tenk1 WHERE unique1 < 7000; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------ Seq Scan on tenk1 (cost=0.00..483.00 rows=7033 width=244) Filter: (unique1 < 7000)
Notice that the EXPLAIN output shows the WHERE clause being applied as a "filter" condition; this means that the plan node checks the condition for each row it scans, and outputs only the ones that pass the condition. The estimate of output rows has gone down because of the WHERE clause. However, the scan will still have to visit all 10000 rows, so the cost hasn't decreased; in fact it has gone up a bit to reflect the extra CPU time spent checking the WHERE condition.
The actual number of rows this query would select is 7000, but the rows estimate is only approximate. If you try to duplicate this experiment, you will probably get a slightly different estimate; moreover, it will change after each ANALYZE command, because the statistics produced by ANALYZE are taken from a randomized sample of the table.
Now, let's make the condition more restrictive:
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM tenk1 WHERE unique1 < 100; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bitmap Heap Scan on tenk1 (cost=2.37..232.35 rows=106 width=244) Recheck Cond: (unique1 < 100) -> Bitmap Index Scan on tenk1_unique1 (cost=0.00..2.37 rows=106 width=0) Index Cond: (unique1 < 100)
Here the planner has decided to use a two-step plan: the bottom plan node visits an index to find the locations of rows matching the index condition, and then the upper plan node actually fetches those rows from the table itself. Fetching the rows separately is much more expensive than sequentially reading them, but because not all the pages of the table have to be visited, this is still cheaper than a sequential scan. (The reason for using two levels of plan is that the upper plan node sorts the row locations identified by the index into physical order before reading them, so as to minimize the costs of the separate fetches. The "bitmap" mentioned in the node names is the mechanism that does the sorting.)
If the WHERE condition is selective enough, the planner may switch to a "simple" index scan plan:
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM tenk1 WHERE unique1 < 3; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Index Scan using tenk1_unique1 on tenk1 (cost=0.00..10.00 rows=2 width=244) Index Cond: (unique1 < 3)
In this case the table rows are fetched in index order, which makes them even more expensive to read, but there are so few that the extra cost of sorting the row locations is not worth it. You'll most often see this plan type for queries that fetch just a single row, and for queries that request an ORDER BY condition that matches the index order.
Add another condition to the WHERE clause:
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM tenk1 WHERE unique1 < 3 AND stringu1 = 'xxx'; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Index Scan using tenk1_unique1 on tenk1 (cost=0.00..10.01 rows=1 width=244) Index Cond: (unique1 < 3) Filter: (stringu1 = 'xxx'::name)
The added condition stringu1 = 'xxx' reduces the output-rows estimate, but not the cost because we still have to visit the same set of rows. Notice that the stringu1 clause cannot be applied as an index condition (since this index is only on the unique1 column). Instead it is applied as a filter on the rows retrieved by the index. Thus the cost has actually gone up a little bit to reflect this extra checking.
If there are indexes on several columns used in WHERE, the planner might choose to use an AND or OR combination of the indexes:
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM tenk1 WHERE unique1 < 100 AND unique2 > 9000; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bitmap Heap Scan on tenk1 (cost=11.27..49.11 rows=11 width=244) Recheck Cond: ((unique1 < 100) AND (unique2 > 9000)) -> BitmapAnd (cost=11.27..11.27 rows=11 width=0) -> Bitmap Index Scan on tenk1_unique1 (cost=0.00..2.37 rows=106 width=0) Index Cond: (unique1 < 100) -> Bitmap Index Scan on tenk1_unique2 (cost=0.00..8.65 rows=1042 width=0) Index Cond: (unique2 > 9000)
But this requires visiting both indexes, so it's not necessarily a win compared to using just one index and treating the other condition as a filter. If you vary the ranges involved you'll see the plan change accordingly.
Let's try joining two tables, using the columns we have been discussing:
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM tenk1 t1, tenk2 t2 WHERE t1.unique1 < 100 AND t1.unique2 = t2.unique2; QUERY PLAN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nested Loop (cost=2.37..553.11 rows=106 width=488) -> Bitmap Heap Scan on tenk1 t1 (cost=2.37..232.35 rows=106 width=244) Recheck Cond: (unique1 < 100) -> Bitmap Index Scan on tenk1_unique1 (cost=0.00..2.37 rows=106 width=0) Index Cond: (unique1 < 100) -> Index Scan using tenk2_unique2 on tenk2 t2 (cost=0.00..3.01 rows=1 width=244) Index Cond: ("outer".unique2 = t2.unique2)
In this nested-loop join, the outer scan is the same bitmap index scan we saw earlier, and so its cost and row count are the same because we are applying the WHERE clause unique1 < 100 at that node. The t1.unique2 = t2.unique2 clause is not relevant yet, so it doesn't affect row count of the outer scan. For the inner scan, the unique2 value of the current outer-scan row is plugged into the inner index scan to produce an index condition like t2.unique2 = constant . So we get the same inner-scan plan and costs that we'd get from, say, EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM tenk2 WHERE unique2 = 42. The costs of the loop node are then set on the basis of the cost of the outer scan, plus one repetition of the inner scan for each outer row (106 * 3.01, here), plus a little CPU time for join processing.
In this example the join's output row count is the same as the product of the two scans' row counts, but that's not true in general, because in general you can have WHERE clauses that mention both tables and so can only be applied at the join point, not to either input scan. For example, if we added WHERE ... AND t1.hundred < t2.hundred, that would decrease the output row count of the join node, but not change either input scan.
One way to look at variant plans is to force the planner to disregard whatever strategy it thought was the winner, using the enable/disable flags described in Section 17.6.1. (This is a crude tool, but useful. See also Section 13.3.)
SET enable_nestloop = off; EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM tenk1 t1, tenk2 t2 WHERE t1.unique1 < 100 AND t1.unique2 = t2.unique2; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hash Join (cost=232.61..741.67 rows=106 width=488) Hash Cond: ("outer".unique2 = "inner".unique2) -> Seq Scan on tenk2 t2 (cost=0.00..458.00 rows=10000 width=244) -> Hash (cost=232.35..232.35 rows=106 width=244) -> Bitmap Heap Scan on tenk1 t1 (cost=2.37..232.35 rows=106 width=244) Recheck Cond: (unique1 < 100) -> Bitmap Index Scan on tenk1_unique1 (cost=0.00..2.37 rows=106 width=0) Index Cond: (unique1 < 100)
This plan proposes to extract the 100 interesting rows of tenk1 using that same old index scan, stash them into an in-memory hash table, and then do a sequential scan of tenk2, probing into the hash table for possible matches of t1.unique2 = t2.unique2 at each tenk2 row. The cost to read tenk1 and set up the hash table is entirely start-up cost for the hash join, since we won't get any rows out until we can start reading tenk2. The total time estimate for the join also includes a hefty charge for the CPU time to probe the hash table 10000 times. Note, however, that we are not charging 10000 times 232.35; the hash table setup is only done once in this plan type.
It is possible to check on the accuracy of the planner's estimated costs by using EXPLAIN ANALYZE. This command actually executes the query, and then displays the true run time accumulated within each plan node along with the same estimated costs that a plain EXPLAIN shows. For example, we might get a result like this:
EXPLAIN ANALYZE SELECT * FROM tenk1 t1, tenk2 t2 WHERE t1.unique1 < 100 AND t1.unique2 = t2.unique2; QUERY PLAN ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nested Loop (cost=2.37..553.11 rows=106 width=488) (actual time=1.392..12.700 rows=100 loops=1) -> Bitmap Heap Scan on tenk1 t1 (cost=2.37..232.35 rows=106 width=244) (actual time=0.878..2.367 rows=100 loops=1) Recheck Cond: (unique1 < 100) -> Bitmap Index Scan on tenk1_unique1 (cost=0.00..2.37 rows=106 width=0) (actual time=0.546..0.546 rows=100 loops=1) Index Cond: (unique1 < 100) -> Index Scan using tenk2_unique2 on tenk2 t2 (cost=0.00..3.01 rows=1 width=244) (actual time=0.067..0.078 rows=1 loops=100) Index Cond: ("outer".unique2 = t2.unique2) Total runtime: 14.452 ms
Note that the "actual time" values are in milliseconds of real time, whereas the "cost" estimates are expressed in arbitrary units of disk fetches; so they are unlikely to match up. The thing to pay attention to is the ratios.
In some query plans, it is possible for a subplan node to be executed more than once. For example, the inner index scan is executed once per outer row in the above nested-loop plan. In such cases, the "loops" value reports the total number of executions of the node, and the actual time and rows values shown are averages per-execution. This is done to make the numbers comparable with the way that the cost estimates are shown. Multiply by the "loops" value to get the total time actually spent in the node.
The Total runtime shown by EXPLAIN ANALYZE includes executor start-up and shut-down time, as well as time spent processing the result rows. It does not include parsing, rewriting, or planning time. For a SELECT query, the total run time will normally be just a little larger than the total time reported for the top-level plan node. For INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE commands, the total run time may be considerably larger, because it includes the time spent processing the result rows. In these commands, the time for the top plan node essentially is the time spent computing the new rows and/or locating the old ones, but it doesn't include the time spent making the changes. Time spent firing triggers, if any, is also outside the top plan node, and is shown separately for each trigger.
It is worth noting that EXPLAIN results should not be extrapolated to situations other than the one you are actually testing; for example, results on a toy-sized table can't be assumed to apply to large tables. The planner's cost estimates are not linear and so it may well choose a different plan for a larger or smaller table. An extreme example is that on a table that only occupies one disk page, you'll nearly always get a sequential scan plan whether indexes are available or not. The planner realizes that it's going to take one disk page read to process the table in any case, so there's no value in expending additional page reads to look at an index.
Examples in this section are drawn from the regression test database after doing a VACUUM ANALYZE, using 8.1 development sources. You should be able to get similar results if you try the examples yourself, but your estimated costs and row counts will probably vary slightly because ANALYZE's statistics are random samples rather than being exact.


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We were saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Bruce Kallos on July 13. Delaware Today had interviewed Bruce June 24 for an upcoming article about people in the arts. Chairman of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, he was shepherding the organization out of a period of financial trouble, into a new future. This was the piece we had planned to run.
Bruce Kallos calls it a perfect storm: An economic downturn that hampered financial gifts and ticket sales, coupled with overspending and a serious personnel issue, nudged the Delaware Symphony Orchestra to the very edge. One of the finest symphonies in the region, DSO shocked the community by suspending its 2012 season. Longtime donor Tatiana Copeland rejoined the board to lead DSO's reorganization, then resigned in April. Kallos, a rank-and-file board member at the time—one of three who remain since the 2012 season—took over as chairman in June. "You don't campaign for these things," he laughs. "Then once you've got it, you think, Oh my God, what have I gotten into?" Kallos points out that he is the only board member without a significant background in music. What he does have is a long history in corporate administration and financial planning. The experience has helped him identify practices that have saved other beleaguered orchestras, and they have given him the fiduciary savvy to expand the season, grow the budget and push DSO toward becoming a truly statewide presence. All of that happens in part by performing with other organizations, such as Opera Delaware and First State Ballet Theatre, in part by exploring something as convenient as selling tickets online. The result: DSO will end its fiscal year with a surplus of nearly $100,000. "As a board member and then as board chair, Bruce has done the real work to face the real challenges of the DSO. He is committed, tenacious, firm, genuine," says general manager Diana Milburn. "And he has the best laugh in the world."
"I have to give a lot of credit to Bruce," says board treasurer David Plaza. "He really focused on sustainability." On July 23, the board elected Charlie Babcock as its new chairman. Plaza calls Babcock a natural choice as successor for his focus on sound governance. The arts lovers at Delaware Today wish the board all the best and offer our condolences to the Kallos family.


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Learn everything you need to know about how to keep your optics dry and clear on the dampest, dewiest nights using dew heaters and shields.
The most common equipment hassle that observers face at night is water on the telescope. This comes as a surprise to people who expect things to stay dry in clear weather. Unfortunately, the steadiest, sharpest telescopic views are often had under precisely the atmospheric conditions that cause dew to form. At the eyepiece, you first notice dim stars and galaxies becoming harder to see; then, bright stars develop fuzzy halos—and a check with the flashlight reveals wet haze coating the optics. In severe cases, the whole telescope may be soaked. Wiping never helps; more water condenses the moment you stop. At this point many observers pack up, defeated. However, you can keep your lenses and mirrors crystal clear in even the heaviest dewing conditions. You just need to understand the enemy and take effective countermeasures, such as dew heaters, shields, caps and more.
A Dew Primer
Dew does not "fall" from the sky. It condenses from the surrounding air onto any object that's colder than the air's dew point. The dew point, often mentioned in weather broadcasts, depends on both temperature and humidity. When the humidity is 100 percent, the dew point is the same as the air temperature. At lower humidity, the dew point is below the air temperature. If the dew point is below freezing, you get frost instead of liquid water.
A familiar example of dew physics occurs when you take a bottle out of the refrigerator. If the bottle is colder than the air's dew point, it drips with condensation. Your telescope is the bottle.
"But my telescope can't get colder than the air!" a new Schmidt-Cassegrain owner once told me. "It was warmer than the air when I brought it outdoors. The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that can't happen!"
If only life were so simple. Objects do try to come to the same temperature as their environment and then stay there, as the Second Law says. But they don't exchange heat just with the air around them. They also exchange heat with distant objects by radiation. That's why the Sun can feel warm on your skin even though it's 93 million miles from your skin. At night the heat flow goes in the opposite direction. The effective temperature of the dark night sky is just a few degrees above absolute zero, and a telescope in an open field is exposed to a whole celestial hemisphere of this cosmic chill. Correcting this issue involves shielding your optics, dew heaters and caps, and other innovative ways to prevent your optics from 'dewing' up.
Shield Your Optics
The first line of defense against dew, therefore, is to shield your optics from as much exposure to the night sky as is feasible. The traditional dew cap extending beyond a refractor's lens often serves this purpose well enough to keep the lens dry. The longer the dew cap, the more likely it is to work. One of the nice things about a Newtonian reflector is that its entire tube acts as a dew cap, shielding the primary mirror at the tube's bottom. An open-tube reflector, however, needs a cloth shroud around its open framework to gain this benefit. The cloth itself, of course, will get wet on its sky-facing side.
The worst dew problems happen on exposed parts that are thin (or have low heat capacity) and rapidly radiate away their warmth. Schmidt-Cassegrain corrector plates are notorious for collecting dew; so are the (otherwise excellent) Telrad sights with their exposed glass plates. A dew shield is reportedly the first accessory that Schmidt-Cassegrain owners most often come back to buy.
You can easily make your own. A piece of tough 5/8-inch (16-mm) foam rubber — the kind sold in sporting-goods stores to go under sleeping bags — makes a dew shield that's cheap, durable, and very lightweight. As a rule of thumb, a dew cap should be at least 1 1/2 times as long as the telescope's aperture is wide. (An example is illustrated on the first page of this article.) A side benefit is that the cap also cuts down on stray light getting into the telescope. That being said, if you're concerned that the cap might vignette the image (block some starlight near the edges of the field of view), you can cut the foam so it flares open at a slight angle. A mere 3° opening angle should allow at least a 3° unvignetted field of view.
Eyepieces are prone to dewing too. Warmth radiating from your face slows the dewing process, but humidity from your eyeball and breath speeds it up. A tall rubber eyecup — the kind that extends above the eye lens all around — not only blocks stray light while you're observing but acts as a miniature dew cap when you're looking away.
Shield Your Site
The same principle works on large scales. Have you noticed grass in the middle of a field white with frost or dew while grass near a tree has none early on a clear morning? The tree is a giant dew cap, and it can work for you too. If you'll be looking at just one part of the sky, try to have trees around and behind you. Not only will your telescope stay dry longer; so will your charts and accessories.
Trees also reduce wind problems, but a slight breeze is a good thing: it will keep your telescope nearly up to the ambient air temperature, since radiational cooling is slow and inefficient compared to heat transfer with moving air.
Then there's the observing umbrella, not a widely known accessory but one that works. A beach umbrella blocks the chill of outer space the same way it blocks the heat of the Sun. It can help shield all your gear and you too from the cosmic deep freeze. On a still night a thermometer under an umbrella can read more than 10° Fahrenheit (6° Celsius) higher than when it is exposed to the open sky.
Warming Your Optics with Dew Heaters and More
There will be times and places where none of this is enough. You then have no choice but to warm your optics, usually electrically.
A 120-volt hair dryer (used gently from a distance so it doesn't overheat the glass and warp it) will blow off dew for perhaps five minutes. Then you have to use it again. And again. A 12-volt auto windshield defogger gun is somewhat less effective.
A better way is to apply a little heat continuously. Heated dew caps that run off batteries have been advertised and reviewed in Sky & Telescope. (An elaborate example is the Kendrick Dew Remover System; May 1994 issue, page 52. A somewhat similar system is sold by Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.) If you're comfortable working with electrical parts and a soldering iron, you can make anti-dew heaters to any size, shape, and specification you want.
Warmed optics can have unexpected benefits. Dew works its first subtle evils before you notice anything. The late S&T columnist Walter Scott Houston used electric warmers on both the objective and the eyepiece holder of his 4-inch refractor. When he turned off the power, the telescope could lose a whole magnitude of light grasp before the objective actually looked damp. "Even on nights when dewing is not noticeable," Houston wrote, "the star images seem better with the dew heaters on than without them!" This may be because, contrary to what you might think, gentle heating, such as with dew heaters, keeps a telescope close to the temperature of the surrounding air, minimizing poor "seeing" caused by air-temperature differences near your optics. After all, the whole idea is to stop the telescope from growing colder than the air, so dew heaters are a great option to consider.
Not-So-Cold Storage
The most destructive dewing happens when a telescope is in storage. No telescope should be closed up and put away until it is thoroughly dry. Water that has nowhere to escape may attack optical coatings and ultimately etch the glass itself. So may condensation that forms and evaporates repeatedly in a sealed environment over long periods of time.
How, you may ask, does water get into an airtight space that was dry when you sealed it? The answer is it was there all along. Air contains water vapor, and if your telescope gets colder than what the dew point was when the air was sealed in, water will condense. This is why so many puzzled telescope owners discover water stains on the inside surfaces of their corrector plates and refractor lenses.
Several approaches can prevent this. Don't move a sealed telescope from warm to cold storage. In fact, sealing may be a bad idea altogether. The best telescope covering is cloth, which can "breathe." It keeps dust off while letting water vapor out. And you might want to leave the eyepiece holder covered only with cloth — just enough to keep dust and spiders out.
The worst problems occur when a warm front of humid air blows in after cold weather, as often happens in early spring. Everything cold gets drenched. A cloth wrap may be the best defense here too; it will greatly reduce the amount of humid air that can flow over cold parts.
The usual advice is to store a telescope at the outdoor temperature to minimize tube currents when you set it up. But this old rule may need modification. Keeping the telescope a little warmer will tend to thwart condensation. An enclosed porch or attached garage may provide the extra few degrees you need. Really long-term storage should probably be inside your living space. Never leave a telescope in a damp basement or garage or, as a rule of thumb, any place where tools grow rusty.
You can take active countermeasures too. A 4- or 7-watt light bulb inserted into a blanketed telescope makes a nice low-power heater. Position it just below or right next to the objective, or else it may merely drive off water from other parts of the tube and send it condense onto your cold optics. Running the bulb continuously will cost about a dollar per watt per year. You might turn it on only in the damp season, or attach it to a humidistat switch.
Silica gel desiccant will dehumidify the air in a tightly sealed enclosure. I keep a ¾-pound bag in plastic webbing attached to the inside of one of my 12.5-inch reflector's tube caps. Every month or two, when the bag's indicator slip turns from blue to pink, I heat the bag in a toaster oven in my observatory to drive off the collected moisture. The more tightly you seal your tube or storage case, the less often you'll have to do this. Silica gel is available from many sources. I got mine from Hydrosorbent Products (www.dehumidify.com; P.O. Box 437, 25 School St., Ashley Falls, MA 01222 USA; 800-448-7903 / 413-229-2967).
Water can be an insidious enemy for astronomers, but a little knowledge will keep it permanently at bay, such as dew heaters and caps.
March 14, 2017 at 12:49 pm
How do I know when to use dew heaters? I do not want to wait until dew has already formed ..,
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February 4, 2019 at 3:56 am
I've been thinking a bit about your "2nd law of thermodynamics" issue... it seems to me that the newbie was right.
thermal contact cannot result in one item with a lower temp than the lowest temperature of the two (or more) items in contact...
but he forgets that the reason for condensation in the first place is a dew point higher than the ambient temperature.
thus dew forms on an item that is in equilibrium with the surrounding temperatures--even if we ignore changes in localized air temp, that can tend to further account for dew formation.
dew also requires an "efficient" surface to begin formation... among the more efficient of such surfaces are glassy smooth objects.
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December 9, 2022 at 4:44 pm
Hi, The link to "make anti-dew heater" is broken. Could that get fixed so I can see what is described?
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Monica Young
December 12, 2022 at 9:37 am
Thanks for letting us know, this link is now fixed.
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A Preference For Truth
The noblest-sounding justification for racial preferences--that they lift up their beneficiaries--may soon be exposed as fraudulent.
A group of law professors and economists examining the effect of law school admissions preferences on students' bar-exam passage rates is suing the State Bar of California to obtain data for their study. The proposed research could deal a death blow to the quota regime by proving that affirmative action actually damages a student's chances of becoming a lawyer. Predictably, the race industry has mobilized to crush the project.
Lead researcher Richard Sander has already earned the enmity of much of the law professoriate for his pioneering work on affirmative action in law schools. Almost all black students are admitted to law school with drastically lower college and LSAT grades than those of white and Asian students. After their first year of legal education, 51% of blacks are in the bottom tenth of their class; two-thirds are in the bottom fifth. Blacks are four times as likely as whites to fail the bar exam on their first try.
Sander has drawn two conclusions from these data, first published in 2004: First, that blacks' low qualifications entering law school predict their lagging performance in school and on the bar exam; second, that there would be more black lawyers if schools stopped extending preferences to black students--because these students would learn more in schools that matched their capabilities.
An advance guard of preference advocates furiously tried to discredit Sander's "mismatch" hypothesis, without drawing much blood. But Sander himself admitted that the national data that he used for his 2004 study were imperfect; thus his effort to obtain the records of the California bar, which has the most extensive set of law student information in the country.
It can link individual students' college GPAs, LSAT scores, law school grades and bar scores going back to 1973. Researchers would be able to compare, with an extraordinary degree of precision, the bar-passage rates of students admitted into elite schools via affirmative action with the rates of those with similar qualifications who attended less elite schools. When Sander and his colleagues approached the bar's leaders and statisticians in 2005 about collaborating on a study, they got an enthusiastic response.
Then a platoon of law school deans paid the bar a little visit. Suddenly, the bar changed its tune. It threw up obstacle after obstacle, claiming that the study was an "anti-affirmative action" ploy and would violate student privacy.
Comment On This Story
Both objections were ludicrous. Sander's research team included skeptics of his mismatch theory as well as affirmative-action supporters, all of whom just happened to believe that any theory should be subjected to rigorous empirical testing.
Sander has invited his many other critics to get involved in the study as well. His project had the backing of leading social scientists. As for privacy, only the bar's chief researcher--who has conducted many analyses of student performance in the past without incurring any objections--would have access to students' actual records. The research would make the data anonymous so that tracing any individual's records would be impossible for anyone else.
Nevertheless, the legal establishment's assault on Sander's project continued. A group of activist law professors argued that the study would lend undue importance to the bar exam. (Law students will undoubtedly be relieved to learn of the exam's insignificance.)
A UCLA law professor launched an e-mail campaign to minority lawyers in California, portraying the research as a frightening invasion of their privacy. After a hearing process that failed to give Sander's team any opportunity to respond to the critics' charges, the bar's board of governors voted in November 2007 to reject the research proposal. Sander is now suing the bar, which is a government body, under California's public information laws.
The racial preference regime has thrived in deliberate secrecy and duplicity, but it is gradually losing its cover. Against all expectations, Sander recently convinced the University of California that it had a legal obligation to share its records on undergraduate students' incoming qualifications and subsequent performance. Though this data set is more generalized than what Sander seeks from the bar, it will likely buttress his mismatch theory and expose lingering preferences at the university, in violation of a 1996 voter initiative outlawing them.
The lawsuit against the bar remains pending, but Sander expects to start releasing results from the UC study this fall. They promise to be explosive.
This piece originally appeared in Forbes
This piece originally appeared in Forbes


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Dance, Monkeys, Dance
by Ernest Cline
Orbiting the sun at about 98 million miles
is a little blue planet
and this planet is run
by a bunch of monkeys.
Now, the monkeys don't think of
themselves as monkeys.
They don't even think of themselves as animals
And they love to list all the things
that they think
separate them from the animals:
Opposable thumbs, self awareness . . .
They'll use words like
Homo Erectus and Australopithecus.
You say Toe-mate-o,
I say Toe-motto.
They're animals all right.
They're monkeys.
Monkeys with high-speed digital fiber optic technology,
but monkeys nevertheless.
I mean, they're clever.
You've got to give them that.
The Pyramids, skyscrapers, phantom jets,
the Great Wall of China.
That's some pretty impressive shit . . .
for a bunch of monkeys.
Monkeys whose brains have evolved
to such an unmanageable size
that it's now pretty much impossible
for them stay happy for any length of time
In fact, they're the only animals
that think they're supposed to be happy.
All of the other animals can just be.
But it's not that simple for the monkeys.
You see, the monkeys are cursed with consciousness
and so the monkeys are afraid.
So the monkeys worry.
The monkeys worry about everything,
but mostly about what all the other monkeys think.
Because the monkeys desperately want to fit in
with the other monkeys.
Which is hard to do,
because a lot of the monkeys seem to hate each other.
This is what really separates them from the other animals.
These monkeys hate.
They hate monkeys that are different.
Monkeys from different places,
monkeys who are a different color-
You see, the monkeys feel alone.
All six billion of them.
Some of the monkeys pay another monkey
to listen to their problems.
Because the monkeys want answers
and the monkeys don't want to die.
So the monkeys make up gods
and then they worship them.
Then the monkeys argue
over whose made-up god is better.
Then the monkeys get really pissed off
and this is usually when the monkeys decide
that it's a good time to start killing each other.
So the monkeys wage war.
The monkeys make hydrogen bombs.
The monkeys have got their whole fucking planet
wired up to explode.
The monkeys just can't help it.
Some of the monkeys play to a sold out crowd . . .
of other monkeys.
The monkeys make trophies
and then they give them to each other.
Like it means something.
Some of the monkeys think
that they have it all worked out.
Some of the monkeys read Nietzsche
The monkeys argue about Nietzsche
without giving any consideration to the fact
that Nietzsche
was just another fucking monkey.
The monkeys make plans.
The monkeys fall in love.
The monkeys fuck
and then they make more monkeys.
The monkeys make music
and then the monkeys DANCE
Dance, monkeys, dance.
The monkeys make a hell of a lot of noise.
And when he's done,
five other randomly selected monkeys
will rate this monkey's noises
on a scale from one to ten.
And at the end of the night,
they add all the numbers up
to see which monkey made the best noises.
As you can see . . .
these are some fucked up monkeys.
These monkeys are at once the ugliest
and most beautiful creatures on the planet.
And the monkeys don't want to be monkeys.
They want to be something else.
But they're not.


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The Flailsnails multiverse is distributed and lacks any central authority. It is comprised of numerous, only partially compatible settings, that have drastically different economies. Firearms or even more advanced weapons are available in some worlds, whereas obsidian edged clubs might be cutting edge technology in other places. Whereas part of the effect of this is that the Flailsnails agglomeration as a whole takes on the qualities of the strangest and most extreme of the constituent areas, it does leave open to question: what areas does any given PC have access to at any given time? The conventions themselves are largely silent on this topic, but I have been following some informal rules of my own with my Flailsnails PCs that feel fair to me.
Currency conversion. Any XP-equivalent currency in terms of purchasing power is transparently converted between realms. So dollars become LotFP SP become gold doubloons become interstellar credits. Or whatever. Unless a particular physicality is important (such as using silver pieces to craft a crude silver weapon to damage a lycanthrope), in which case you are going to have to have a conversation with whatever referee and figure it out.
Downtime actions and equipment purchasing. I only allow my PCs to buy items or take actions within the last setting visited. This means that if my character is not in, say, Kalak-Nur currently, I need to play in another Kalak-Nur game before I can buy stuff there, even if I have played there before at some point. The same goes for administering land holdings or anything else that requires access to some world-specific resource.
Character-specific abilities, however, are a different matter. If I make a Holmes magic-user, I will craft scrolls at 100 GP per spell level between sessions, even though a particular session referee might have scroll creation work differently within a given setting.
While there is no particular reason why anyone else needs to follow these "rules," I think they are good guidelines, and also provide adventuring motivation (if you assume that you need to survive a session in wherever before you can buy stuff there). Of course, I also happily apply my own rather stringent encumbrance rules (1 item per point of strength) to all of my own Flailsnails PCs unilaterally, so it is possible that I derive more utility than others from self-imposed limits.


text:
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text:
Luggage Tag Rare Species
Luggage Tag Rare Species
Sold Out
Jazz up your luggage and travel cases with our vibrant Luggage Tags. They are fun and durable and can withstand the travel experience. Add these tags to any travel gear and children's backpacks for quick identification. Each tag feature a protected information field, metallic strap, adjustable buckle, and are airline friendly. Mix and match styles to personalize luggage for family and special groups.
Dimensions are 2.75″ x 4"


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MGH Epilepsy Service
The Epilepsy Service at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) offers evaluation and management using the most advanced techniques available to children and adults with epilepsy and related disorders in a setting focused on the advancement of knowledge about epilepsy and related disorders. The MGH Epilepsy Service is an academic teaching service that is committed to clinical and basic research, medical education, and clinical service. Patients seen in this environment benefit from the input of multiple physicians and investigators that results directly from our academic medical approach to evaluation and management.
Clinical services include:
- Consultation services at the request of primary care physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons and other specialists
- Epilepsy Surgery for patients with structural lesions or patients whose seizures have not been well controlled with medical management
- Epilepsy Monitoring Unit for advanced diagnostic and pre-surgical patient evaluation
- First Seizure Clinic for patients with newly recognized episodes thought to represent seizures
- Pediatric Epilepsy services for infants, children and adolescents
- Second Opinion / Record Review services for patients, families and physicians
- E-Consults through the Partners Online Specialty Consultations program at econsults.partners.org


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My trip in 2014 to India was one of those moments in my life where I felt the axis tip, when I saw true poverty with my own eyes yet experienced the warmth of a community and a people. India lodged itself under my skin in a way that only Spain has done.
When I found out my friend Natasha, an accomplished swimmer and all-around go-getter, told me she wanted to swim across the Straight of Gibraltar to raise awareness of impoverished communities in India, I wasn't surprised. I'd seen the glimmering Taj Mahal and eaten curries at rooftop hotels that overlooked Jaipur, but I'd also seen amputees on the street scrounging for scraps of food. It was a bridge between two worlds – those who have and those who do not.
Nadando Entre Dos Mundos, Natasha and her swimming partners' group, is raising funds to help build schools through the Vicente Ferrer Foundation. This Spain-based NGO works in Anhdra Pradesh – one of India's poorest areas – to build schools, teach technical and conventional skills and to protect womens' rights. You had me at 'helping others.'
Further, the Straight of Gibraltar is one of the more dangerous stretches of oceans in the Western world, and even at mere miles from the tip of Tarifa – the southernmost tip of continental Europe – and the shores of Morocco and Africa, it claims victims each year thanks to high winds and frequent changes in the weather. This symbolic choice of the Sraight has to do with those haves and have-nots, with bridging cultures and with helping those who need it most.
Says Natasha:
The Strait of Gibraltar separates two continents, two worlds. It separates opportunities from dreams, the power of wanting. With a little bit of help we would like to make these dreams of development come true. Crossing the poverty line is difficult and on many occasions you have to swim against the current to do so. We understand that education is the best path towards development.
We would like to exemplify this by crossing the gap that separates two worlds. The goal, more than just a mere athletic feat, is an act of solidarity to obtain funds and construct a school in one of the poorest zones in India in collaboration with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation.
We also need you to swim with us. Please consider purchasing a T-shirt via Fabrily (they're fun gifts for both kids and adults, and also come in hoodies!) to help fund schools in
The team, made up six Spaniards and Natasha, a Canadian who has lived in Seville for seven years, will be swimming the Straight sometime between October 30th and November 6th, depending on how the weather shapes up.
Please check out Nadando Entre Dos Mundos on Facebook for updates and pictures as the big date draws near, and their Goal Funds page, where you can make a donation to make a community school happen in India. Additionally, you can make a direct deposit into their bank, Banco Sabadell ES30 2100 3331 9622 0009 6273, concept Nadando Entre Dos Mundos.
You can learn more about the Fundación Vicente Ferrer here.
all NEDM photos belong to Natasha Feith


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Tying it all together
Author – Tim Smith
My role in enhancing manufacturing has provided me a unique view into an industry which is desperate to perform and paranoid to advance. Many manufacturers today understand conceptually that improvement strategies can greatly benefit their productivity and bottom line, but they have no sound understanding of how it all ties together. The tyranny of the immediate demands all of their focus and time just to keep feeding the beast, staying competitive and meeting delivery dates and deadlines. How many of you struggle just to meet the demands of your current job? That many.. So, what's the point of my post? The typical manufacturing floor is made up of assets. Machines are assets and personnel are assets. The latter do a lot of communicating, the former do not.
The machines which populate the shop floor not only do not speak the same language, many have no capability to speak at all. MTConnect has championed an open standard by which machines can communicate, ( see mtconnect.org ). There is now a Rosetta Stone for machines. With MTConnect equipped machines a manufacturer can "See" their shop floor. Even in it's simplest implementation, the ability to have the shop floor visible means "knowing" what assets are producing and which assets are not. This ability will immediately garner productivity improvements by identifying capacity and utilization constraints.


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I think this is disgusting. I dont feel I got value for money when it was $85 now how do you justify $125?
Its extortionate.
Absolutely shameful - a good as 50% increase, no justification, no accountability on where the money is going.
Aside from a reskin of the site and obviously more marketing and moderators, what are they spending it on!
I used to respect ISC2 because they weren't obvious money gougers like ISACA. As others have said the main value derived from the CISSP is a keyword hook on a CV for lazy recruiters...a functionality that can be just as easily met with adding CISSP (expired) instead.
Member for 10 years....seriously have to consider whether I make that 11
Garfield must really be expensive to license. And nothing better to teach kids about cyber security than a 48 year old mascot....
On to a more serious note, I have only kept my AMF's up to day because the certification is resume fodder. Unfortunately after the last couple of years it has become less relevant, and this price gouge has sealed the coffin.
The ISC2 and associated certifications are nothing more than a cash grab. i would also like to point out that not only has viewing their CPE content put me on the mailing list of more telemarketers than just posting my email on craiglist would have, but many of these companies that they partner with have been parts of security breaches.
So the most ironic part of this? My work email/phone/position are in the databases and on the leads of every telemarketer and scammer in the world because of my membership with the ISC2
I'm a DoD contractor so I'm forced to have the CISSP cert. Having said that if ISC2 raised it to $10,000US per year I would have to pay it. And whats stopping them? They are deeply embedded with DoD so they have a lock on secondary economy from this requirement. I'm also getting paid premium rates so it's not a hit on my budget. I don't get reimbursed for it from my company.
I do empathize for those who are in other countries who may not have the revenue stream that we are blessed with here in the states. This could be substantial for them.
Around Valentines day will mark my 6 month anniversary with ISC2 (oh crap-need to get on those CPE's!). I started on this site and then added the site that @rslade mentioned for CISSP's. That site turned out to be a bust for me so this is my only resource for CISSP community.
This site has issues. ISC2 has spent a crap ton of money trying to upscale to be attractive to the media savvy user. It does nothing for me. I don't need badges. I don't need kudos. I do need unfiltered, lo-managed, professional discourse related to the certification.
The online content that is provided by ISC2 so that we can fulfill our certifications is o.k. Another organisation I belong to basically dumped their online media content because it was bankrupting them. It is not cheap. I know ISC2 have archived content to build a library. The concern is that is dated material as well. Past 6 months in age is it still relevant? I highly doubt it. Is there enough content that runs parallel to our CPE calendar to be useful? Don't know.
In summary, I'm forced to pay for something if I want to continue in the career path I am on. The return on my investment (the site) does nothing for me other then the material for CPE's and there are many other sources for that so it's really not crucial. And the community is on valium-it's numb and dull due to the heavy handed moderation.
Maybe my next certificate will be 100% gold foil?
Such a dramatic price increase.
Are the new board members responsible for this draconian increase?
I believe that it will cause an exodus from ISC2.
After being a member for 10 years, this 47% increase hammers a nail in my departure from the organization.
There is no justification for this, and it begs "accountability" and "transparency" questions of the organization.
Very disappointed that the ISC2 board are so out-of-touch that they believed that its member base would just sit down and take the unjustified substantial increase without even a whimper.
For a lot of people in my environment it's required to have the cert and ISC2 knows this. They can keep raising the fees and they know people will have to pay them to keep their jobs. Seems pretty unethical to me. I would surely like to get a 47% raise!
ISC2 has hit me with a largely unexpected $285 bill.
I'm thankful that my only planned courses and certification this year are with another organization.
Now, if I could just make some sense out of the payment/dues page...
Regarding their payment/dues page:
I just figured it out. The 47% increase in our fees is so that they can fix that ridiculous page.
As I said in another post earlier today about the AMF screens; the early 1990s called asking for their code back.
You would really have to wonder about the mindset of the ISC2 board.
To think that a 47% increase was regarded as a good idea? I put it down to either the decision being made out in the hot Florida sun or a certain herb was introduced while they were eating at the last board meeting ...... meals that the members paid for.
I'm not certain if anyone with any power at ISC2 is reading this. But raising the AMF to $125 per year ($375 per certification cycle) is criminal. Particularly considering that the ONLY benefit we receive from them is the certificate every 3 years and the ability to place letters behind our name. That ridiculous Member Perks app is a complete waste of time and money.
Having had my certification for almost 14 years I have invested $1190 in AMF fees alone not to mention the (unbillable) time spent in maintaining CPE's. This will likely boost organizations like SANS. Or, at least make folks perform a more critical value analysis.
I know I will be evaluating whether to maintain my certification when it comes up for renewal next year.
I doubt anyone at ISC2 really cares about our opinions here. But, I felt the need to vent.
A 47% fee increase!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I thought surely I misread that when I first saw the e-mail. Came back later once my eyes cleared and was HUGELY DISAPPOINTED to see I did not misread anything.
I understand more and more why several highly respected cyber security professionals I know have nothing good to say about (ISC)2. I should have kept up my CompTIA Security+ cert active.
This is not required for my job, is not gaining me any tangible benefits, and at these renewal rates will cost $1,500 before I retire, not allowing for more near 50% fee increases, for a few letters that now costs $25/letter per year!
I can definitely see where (ISC)2 greed will price them out of the market and eventually another cert will become a standard.
Amen on the CEP and account pages being completely jacked up and from at least two decades ago! Maybe they'll get something right with the additional MILLIONS of dollars this 47% fee increase will bring in.....unless a few thousand people have had enough and leave and it ends up a wash at the bottom line.....


text:
Circum-Arctic Map of Permafrost and Ground-Ice Conditions, Version 2
Data set id:
DOI: 10.7265/skbg-kf16
This is the most recent version of these data.
The Circum-Arctic permafrost and ground ice map is available via ftp in ESRI Shapefile format and Equal-Area Scalable Earth Grid (EASE-Grid) format. See the Format section for an explanation of the files provided via FTP.
The circumpolar permafrost and ground ice data contribute to a unified international data set that depicts the distribution and properties of permafrost and ground ice in the Northern Hemisphere (20°N to 90°N). The re-gridded data set shows discontinuous, sporadic, or isolated permafrost boundaries. Permafrost extent is estimated in percent area (90-100 percent, 50-90 percent, 10-50 percent, <10 percent, and no permafrost). Relative abundance of ground ice in the upper 20 m is estimated in percent volume (>20 percent, 10-20 percent, <10 percent, and 0 percent). The data set also contains the location of subsea and relict permafrost. the gridded data are gridded at 12.5 km, 25 km, and 0.5 degree resolution. The shapefiles were derived from the original 1:10,000,000 paper map (Brown et al. 1997)
Permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, is ground (soil, sediment, or rock) that remains at or below 0°C for at least two years (Permafrost Subcommittee, 1988). It occurs both on land and beneath offshore arctic continental shelves, and underlies about 22 percent of the Earth's land surface.
For more information on the creation of the original map, see Heginbottom et al. (1993). The original paper map also includes information on the relative abundance of ice wedges, massive ice bodies and Pingos, ranges of permafrost temperature and thickness (Brown et al. 1997).
Not Specified
Not Specified
Data Format(s):
Temporal Coverage:
Not Specified
Temporal Resolution:
Not Specified
Spatial Resolution:
- Not Specified
Spatial Coverage:
Blue outlined yellow areas on the map below indicate the spatial coverage for this data set.


text:
Satellite data could improve Air Quality Index
Connecting state and local government leaders
The University of Albany released a study demonstrating the potential socioeconomic benefits of combining satellite data and AirNow.
Combining air quality data from NASA satellites with data from the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow service can deliver a number of potential community-level and economic benefits, according to a study from the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany.
The EPA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Park Service, and tribal, state and local agencies developed the AirNow website to provide the public with easy access to national air quality information.
It provides both daily forecasts and hourly data using the Air Quality Index for over 300 cities across the United States, and provides links to more detailed state and local air quality Web sites. The site also presents maps of AQI levels on national, regional and local spatial scales.
The air quality sensor network does not cover significant areas of the continental United States, however, leaving approximately 42 million people with no information or inaccurate data. One of the potential benefits satellite data could bring to AirNow is filling in these gaps in the ground sensor network. Officials in Kansas City, Mo. noted that, "we're missing a better understanding of how much emissions in rural areas and upwind transport impact largely urban nonattainment areas."
One way to provide additional information on particulate matter for these unmonitored areas is to use satellite aerosol optical depth data. A recent NASA-funded project, AirNow Satellite Data Processor (ASDP), developed a system for EPA to routinely estimate surface concentrations of particulate matter from satellite data and then fuse these estimates with routine surface observations in the AirNow system.
In addition, satellite data could improve regional and local analysis of air quality conditions. State and local governments would have more accurate and timely information to use for air quality forecasting, budgeting and public health and policy research. Near-real-time data would also help local agencies issue advisories for events such as smoke from fires.
Using satellite data is significantly more cost effective than installing additional ground monitors in uncovered areas, the report argues. Satellite data could provide daily pollutant information to 82 percent of people living in unmonitored areas at little to no cost. Installing 74 additional ground monitors in areas with 25,000 or more residents would cost nearly $26 million, while only providing coverage to 44 percent of people in these locations.
"This study showed that users with different needs and capabilities can all benefit from enhanced air quality data," said CTG Study Director Sharon Dawes. "Equally important, the study findings emphasize the importance of stewardship in ensuring the usability, usefulness and value of any public data. When people understand the data sources, precision, timeliness and format, they can use it for diverse benefits to individuals, groups and society."
The study was conducted using two methods: face-to-face interviews with experts in three locations (Denver, Atlanta and Kansas City, Mo.) to evaluate the community-level benefits and a cost-saving analysis of using satellite data over installing additional ground monitors.


text:
University Policies
File code: ADM.SICKLVBANK.POL
Approval Date: 1/28/03
Approved By: President's Staff
Sick Leave Bank Policy
The purpose of the Western Illinois University Voluntary Sick Leave Bank (Bank) Policy is to provide additional paid leave for employees who have exhausted their accrued sick and vacation leave benefits as the result of a catastrophic illness or injury. The Bank serves as a depository into which participating employees may voluntarily contribute leave (leave) for allocation to other participating employees. The purpose of the Bank is not to provide unlimited paid sick leave for any medical reason but to alleviate the hardship caused when employees lose compensation as the result of a catastrophic illness or injury.
Establishment of the Bank
The Bank will be established through the voluntary contribution of one leave day by eligible employees (as defined by this policy) during an initial enrollment period. Contributing a leave day establishes membership in the Bank and eligibility to apply for withdrawal from the Bank.
Once the Bank has been established, an open enrollment period will be held annually during the Benefits Choice period. At that time, any eligible employee may join the bank by contributing one leave day. In order to remain a member in good standing, current bank members must continue to make a voluntary annual contribution. Should the Bank reach a balance of forty-five (45) or fewer available days, a special contribution period may be opened. If any days remain in the Bank at the end of the fiscal year, they will be carried over to the next fiscal year.
Membership Eligibility, Obligations, and Limitations
- Membership in the Bank is available to all Western Illinois University employees who have leave balances. Employees who do not accrue cumulative leave, but who are granted non-cumulative leave, will be eligible for membership if they have been employed continuously for at least six months. For individuals on less than a 100% appointment, one day is pro-rated on the basis of the percentage appointment.
- Membership eligibility for participation in the Bank for a fiscal year begins upon the employee's original donation of one day of leave. Enrollment in the Bank continues, provided an additional day of leave is donated each subsequent fiscal year.
- Eligibility is discontinued upon termination of employment, retirement, death, or failure to donate a leave day the following fiscal year(s). No payment of benefits will be made to survivors.
- Membership continues from year-to-year with annual reduction in leave until/unless the member submits a revocation form to discontinue membership.
- Members must waive all claims to leave voluntarily donated to the Bank, including any monetary or retirement-related value the days may hold.
- The Bank is available to those employees who have completely exhausted all sick and vacation leave and who are not receiving disability or Workers' Compensation.
Donations to the Bank
- Employees will be given an annual opportunity to donate to the Bank. Donors must have a minimum balance of ten (10) leave days after making a donation.
- Any employee who wishes to donate a day of leave must sign a statement indicating the donation is voluntary. Donation forms will be submitted to Human Resources.
- Donations made during the Benefits Choice period qualify the employee for the following fiscal year.
- Employees may choose to donate either sick or vacation leave to the Bank. Donated sick leave will first be transferred from cumulative, non-compensable sick leave, if available. Employees who earn only non-cumulative sick and vacation leave will be allowed to donate non-cumulative leave if other eligibility requirements are met.
- Employees may not designate a particular individual to receive their donated leave.
Administration of the Bank
- The Bank will be administered by a committee (Committee) appointed by the University President and comprised of at least one representative from Human Resources, one representative from Academic Personnel, and one campus health care professional. Each appointed representative would name an alternate.
- The Human Resources Department will be responsible for convening the Committee, coordinating the annual donation period, processing requests, and maintaining appropriate related records.
- The Committee will be responsible for reporting usage and for reviewing the policies and operations of the Bank on an annual basis. The Committee may recommend changes or modifications to the President and Vice Presidents as needed.
- Requests for paid sick leave will be reviewed by the Committee. The Committee will prepare a written notification to the requesting member approving or denying the application for paid sick leave. Human Resources will ensure that the appropriate forms and/or documentation are submitted to the Payroll Office if the request is approved.
- The Committee may not grant paid sick leave days to members when the Bank does not have available days.
- An application shall be denied if it is incomplete, lacks supporting statements from a licensed health care provider, or if the member fails to provide any requested documentation. If denied, an application may be resubmitted.
- The Bank will be administered in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Family and Medical Leave Act requirements.
Withdrawls from the Bank
- A member or his/her designee must complete an application for leave and submit it to Human Resources.
- Applications must be accompanied by a statement from a licensed health care provider that includes the beginning date of the condition, a description of the illness or injury, and a prognosis for recovery. Requests should indicate the estimated number of sick days required and information related to any pending disability claims.
- Requests for withdrawal must be made by the member or his/her designee no later than five (5) working days after all leave time has been exhausted.
- The Committee will render a written decision to the employee within five (5) working days after receipt of the request.
- The amount of sick leave granted for each request will be determined by the Committee
but cannot exceed one-third of the balance in the Bank or a maximum of twenty (20) working days, whichever is less. No member may receive more than twenty (20) working days in a twelve-month period. - Sick leave may be used only during the term of an employee's period of appointment.
- Any leave granted may be used only for the purpose requested on the application. Any unused portion will be returned to the Bank.
- Leave may be used for the personal illness or injury of the employee or to care for a parent, spouse, domestic partner, or child with a serious health condition.
- Use of Bank benefits is considered under the provisions of the FMLA and any use is included in the twelve (12) weeks of leave provided under this Act, if applicable.
- Bank benefits are not available for leave taken prior to eligibility for participation in the Bank.
Appeal Procedure
In the event that an employee is denied membership into the Bank or a member is denied benefits from the Bank, he/she may submit a written appeal to the University President within ten (10) working days of receiving the denial. A written response shall be issued within ten (10) working days from the date of the appeal.
- Bank Member: An employee who has voluntarily contributed leave days to the Sick Leave Bank. Only bank members may apply for and receive paid sick leave days from the bank.
- Catastrophic Illness or Injury: A severe medical condition which requires an employee's absence from work for a prolonged period of time and which results in a substantial loss of income to the employee because of the exhaustion of all earned sick, vacation and/or compensatory leave time. A qualifying illness or injury might include, but is not limited to, cancer, major non-elective surgery, serious accident, heart attack, or complications of pregnancy. In order to be defined as catastrophic, an illness or injury must be seriously incapacitating, of extended duration, and require the services of a licensed health care provider.
- Employee: An individual on appointment to Western Illinois University who has a sick and/or vacation leave balance, e.g., faculty, administrative/professional, and civil service staff.
- Licensed Health Care Provider: A trained health care provider practicing within the scope of his/her license.
- Sick Leave Bank: A pool of leave days voluntarily donated by Western Illinois University employees. The Sick Leave Bank provides paid sick leave to bank members who meet the eligibility requirements. It is administered by the Sick Leave Bank Committee with the assistance of Human Resources.
- Sick Leave Bank Committee: The review and decision-making body that receives and acts upon all applications for paid sick leave from the Sick Leave Bank. Committee members are appointed by the University President and include a representative from Human Resources, a representative from Academic Personnel, and a campus health care professional.
- Sick/Vacation Leave: Includes cumulative sick leave (payable and non-payable), and cumulative vacation leave (payable and non-payable). Non- cumulative sick leave and non-cumulative vacation leave are considered sick/vacation leave only for those employees who do not earn cumulative leave.