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Akai MPK249
- 49 semi-weighted, full-size keys with aftertouch
- 16 RGB-illuminated MPC pads each with 4 banks for 64 pads
- 24 assignable Q-Link controllers include knobs, faders, and switches (8 of each)
- Revamped control layout with backlit LCD screen
- iOS compatibility using the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit (sold separately)
- USB-MIDI with 5-pin MIDI input & output
- Comprehensive transport and parameter controls for hands-on DAW integration
- MPC Note Repeat, MPC Swing, and arpeggiator for advanced rhythmic and melodic manipulation
- MPC Full Level, 16 Levels, Tap Tempo, and Time Division assist with dynamics and tempo
- Pitch bend, modulation, and octave controls for expressive recording and performing
- 1 assignable footswitch jack and 1 expression jack
- USB power and plug-and-play connectivity
- Production software package included: Ableton Live Lite, Hybrid 3 by AIR Music Tech, SONiVOX Twist 2.0, and Akai Pro MPC Essentials (downloads)
- Includes VIP3.0 - the ground-breaking, award-winning music software platform that provides musicians and composers with a powerful hands-on control solution for their virtual instrument and virtual effect collection
Made To Play
MPK249 comes equipped with 49 semi-weighted, full-size keys and a premium piano-style keybed for unprecedented response and natural feel. Each key is velocity-sensitive and outfitted with aftertouch for dynamic, expressive performances and recordings. In addition, onboard Octave Up and Down controls allow players to access the entire melodic range; play bass lines, piano harmony, solo leads and much more.
Genuine MPC Functionality
Classic MPC Swing, MPC Note Repeat, MPC Full Level, and 16 Levels are all onboard for further inspiration. With MPK249, musicians and composers can incorporate genuine MPC workflow into their productions and create with the tools that producers have relied on for years: MPC Swing lets MPK249 users obtain that tight, organic groove that made Akai Pro's groundbreaking MPC music-making machines so legendary. MPC Note Repeat and 16 Levels make it easy to build beats and construct short melodic sequences using the MPC-style pads. In addition, an arpeggiator, with adjustable resolution, range, and patterns, enables users to explore complex melodic ideas, effortlessly.
Production Software
MPK249 is armed with powerful production software—Ableton Live Lite and MPC Essentials—for out-of-the-box music creation. Ableton Live Lite is a fluid audio/MIDI environment that enables musicians and producers to spontaneously compose, record, remix, improvise, and edit musical ideas. MPC Essentials, a groove/beat production and sample-triggering software, can integrate directly into any DAW, such as Ableton Live Lite, or run standalone. In addition, it extends the power of MPK249 by adding up to 8 pad banks and 4 samples and insert effects per pad.
Virtual Synthesizers
Two high-definition virtual synthesizers bring the best of synthesis technology to MPK249 users. Hybrid 3, by AIR Music Tech, is a versatile virtual synthesizer that combines the warmth of legendary analog synths with a full range of futuristic, digital manipulation capabilities. SONiVOX Twist, a spectral morphing synthesis virtual instrument, makes it easy to create serious sounds using simple controls. Together, these powerful instruments give MPK249 users professional music-creation tools that can jumpstart any project.
Ableton Live Lite is a trademark of Ableton AG. Akai Professional, AIR Music Technology, and MPC are registered trademarks of inMusic Brands Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. inMusic is the exclusive distributor of SONiVOX.
NEW: Welcome to The World of VIP Music Software | Effortless Integration, Enhanced Workflow
Experience expanded control of your VST instrument and effect collection with MPK249 and Akai Pro VIP3.0 (Free Download Included a $99.99 Value). VIP3.0 provides you with unparalleled access to your virtual instrument and effect collection, seamlessly integrating the hardware / software experience and grants the unrestricted freedom to create in a user-friendly, intuitive format. The combination of VIP and MPK249 maximizes workflow and ensures a playing experience that feels natural and enhances creativity – the natural, tactile feel of hardware fused with the unrivalled processing capability of virtual Instruments. Quickly find sounds based on instrument type, timbre, style or articulation from your entire VST library; sculpt immersive, expressive sounds and textures layering up to 8 separate instruments and patches per VIP instance; load up to 4 different VST effects per instrument channel to sculpt the perfect sound; put power into your performance with Pad Chord Progressions and user-friendly Key Control processors; and much more. From live performance to studio production, VIP's user-friendly functionality coupled with a diverse feature set guarantees simple, seamless integration into your existing setup and provides the ultimate platform for unrestricted creative expression.
MPC 2.0 UPGRADE READY (Optional)
We are pleased to announce that the critically acclaimed MPC Software 2.0 upgrade is now available to purchase for your MPK, greatly enhancing the capability and functionality from the included MPC Essentials.
To see your upgrade path, click here.
MPC Software 2.0 is a cutting-edge production suite combining 128-track sequencing capability, real-time time stretching, clip-launch functionality, advanced MIDI editing capability, VST compatibility in controller mode, operation as a standalone application on Mac & PC, advanced sampling & audio editing/recording functionality, seamless DAW integration, a redesigned GUI, Ableton Link Compatibility and much more. Whether you're seeking freedom from computer based music production, or searching for the perfect controller for DAW-centric creative exploration, MPC Software 2.0 grants the ultimate in adaptive creative versatility.
You're In Control
Engineered to be an all-in-one controller solution, the Akai Professional MPK249 is a performance pad and keyboard controller that combines deep software integration, enhanced workflow, and core technologies from the iconic line of MPC workstations. Each member of Akai Pro's MPK series comes fully loaded with a comprehensive interface for manipulating virtual instruments, effect plugins, DAWs, and more. MPK249 features 49 semi-weighted keys with aftertouch, 8 assignable knobs, faders, and switches, 16 MPC-style pads with RGB feedback, and onboard transport buttons. Three banks expand the number of knobs, faders, and switches (up to 24 each), and four pad banks expand the number of pads (up to 64 total). Plus, MPK249 is optimized to interface directly with your Mac or PC with USB power and plug-and-play connectivity.
- 49 semi-weighted, full-size keys with aftertouch
- 16 pressure- and velocity-sensitive
- light-up MPC-style pads x 4 banks
Q-Link Controls
- 8 control knobs
- 8 faders
- 8 backlit switches
Computer Interface
- USB-MIDI with 5-pin MIDI input & output
- 10 with Octave Up and Down
- Yes
Additional Controls
- MPC Note Repeat
- MPC Swing
- MPC Full Level
- 16 Levels
- Tap Tempo
- Time Division
Additional Inputs
- (1) 1/4" (6.35mm) TRS expression pedal input
- (1) 1/4" (6.35mm) TS sustain pedal or footswitch input
- USB power; no power adapter required
- 29" x 12.25" x 3.38" (WxDxH)
- 12.6 lbs
We Also Recommend


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Minipost: The ugliest little DK in the world
My guildmate Aldous (who just started his own WoW blog, Boozekin!) called for everyone's attention the other night to announce that his Transmogrification outfit was nearing completion. We all gathered up in the T-Spot (the Tauren area in Orgrimmar, aka the Best Area) to see what he had come up with. We weren't disappointed.
(I actually helped him complete the look by getting him the horrible vest and cloak.)
This got us talking to how awesome and horrifying it would be if our raid team ALL created horrendous transmog sets, and actually raided in them. Kill shots would be amazing!
I've been running a lot of old dungeons lately to build up a collection of plate pieces for transmog purposes, so I decided to see what I could whip up on the spot to match Aldous in terms of sheer visual vomit. These were all armor pieces that I actually already had, stashed in my bank. Be afraid.
The scary part about this is that, much like Aldous' set, it's all appropriate armor. So in my case, this entire set is actual plate. I COULD KILL DEATHWING WEARING THIS.
Helm: Ruby Helm of the Just
Shoulder: Fanblade Pauldrons
Cloak: Recovered Scarlet Onslaught Cape
Chest: Warrior's Embrace
Hands: Gauntlets of Cruel Intention
Waist: Jumbotron Power Belt
Legs: Vanquisher's Legplates
Feet: Sha'tari Wrought Greaves
Main Hand: Melia's Magnificent Scepter
Off Hand: Blade of Savagery

subset: commoncrawl


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Wilson Shannon
Politician, territorial governor. Democrat. Born: February 24, 1802, Belmont County, Ohio. Died: August 30, 1877. Served as second territorial governor of Kansas: September 7, 1855, to June 24, 1856; sworn in again on June 13, 1856 and served from July 7 to August 18, 1856.
Wilson Shannon, second territorial governor of Kansas, was born February 24, 1802, in what is now Belmont County, Ohio. His father died when he was a boy and he was raised by his brothers. He attended Ohio University at Athens for two years and Transylvania University at Lexington, Kentucky. There he studied law and in 1826 began a practice in St. Clairsville, Ohio. In 1832 the Democratic Party nominated him for Congress. The Whig candidate defeated Shannon by only 37 votes. In 1838 Shannon was elected governor of Ohio, he was defeated two years later, but was reelected to the following term. After his second gubernatorial term Shannon was appointed minister to Mexico. He practiced law in Cincinnati and went to California in 1849. He soon returned to his home state where in 1852 he was elected to Congress and voted for the Kansas-Nebraska bill. On August 10, 1855, President Franklin Pierce appointed Shannon governor of Kansas Territory. Since he had helped pass the Kansas-Nebraska Act proslavery supporters in Kansas and western Missouri anticipated his administration would be sympathetic to their cause. The Shannon administration lasted 11 months, during which occurred many turbulent acts. Following his resignation, in August 1856, Shannon became a well-known attorney in Lawrence and throughout the territory. Shannon died August 30, 1877, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Entry: Shannon, Wilson
Author: Kansas Historical Society
Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.
Date Created: May 2012
Date Modified: February 2017
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.


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Wooden Wedding Engagement Ring Box-With These Rings
Wooden Wedding Ring / Engagement Ring Box.
This Wooden ring box will add the perfect unique touch to your wedding and will make the photos of your wedding rings shine.Each piece is lovingly laser etched to order in our Australian Warehouse. The wooden wedding ring box fits in the palm of your hand and hold ring in a burlap inlay.
Wooden Wedding Engagement Ring Box-With These Rings


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Easiest Quickest and Cost effective way to get your Import Export Code
More than 300 companies incorporated by CA On Web experts within last 3 years
Getting IEC code is mandatory before starting any import/export business
Ca On Web is one of the most favored consultants for IEC by several importers/exporters all over India
Just a click away to get your iec code certificate. It's quick and easy
Submit your details!
Import Export Code?
IEC registration is required by a person for exporting or importing goods. It is a 10 digit code which is issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). All businesses which are engaged in Import and Export of goods require registering Import Export Code. IE code has lifetime validity. Importers are not allowed to proceed without this code and exporters can't take benefit of exports from DGFT, customs, Export Promotion Council, if they don't have this code.
The IE Code must be quoted by importers while clearing customs. Also, banks require the importers IE Code while sending money abroad. For exporters, IE Code must be quoted while sending shipments. And banks require the exporters IE Code while receiving money from abroad. caonweb can help your business obtain IE Code.
What is included in our Package?
Preparation & submission of application
All Government dues
IEC Certificate
Documents Required for Import Export Code
Application Preparation
In order to get code an application must be made in the Aayaat Niryaat Form 2A format to the DGFT in that region where the registered office of the company is established. Government has also arranged online filing facility for obtaining IEC CODE ONLINE.
Application Processing
Details of the business and its proprietors, directors or partners, bank account details and a bank certificate are the basic requirements of ANF 2A. All the required documents for IEC need to be submitted with ANF 2A. Digital signature is required on the ANF2A form.
IEC fee payment
Once the application if complete, it should be filed with DGFT and an application fee need to be paid to the government. IEC department may send back your application for correction / change. You need to reply back to the DGFT in 15 days.
IE Code Issuance
Once the application is completely verified by the department, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade will allot an IE Code for your business. This IE code comes in both soft copy and hard copy. You receive the softcopy via email and can start the import export transaction with this.
FAQ(Import Export Code Registration)
Any person who intends to import or export goods and services from or to India must obtain Import export Code, one can apply ie code online and get their IE code certicicate or IE code license online.
No, tax is not levied on Import Export Code. However, custom duty maybe levied. Custom duty depends to the category of the products imported or exported. This can be found at the custom departments' website.
After submitting all the requisite documents IEC is typically allotted by DGFT in 5-10 days. It is not necessary to show proof of any import or export to obtain IE Code. Now a days, as IEC can we partially applied online with the help of digital signature, IEC can be obtained in less than a week.
If you have taken IEC Certificate in new process e-IEC online, then you can download your certificate any time by login into the IEC portal with your username details. But if you had taken your IEC in physical process, you have to re-apply for e-IEC with all the documents and DGFT will provide you certificate in new online format.
If you or a company wants to modify any details in IEC license, then you can do it online in your IEC application. IEC modification required resubmitting the application with the DGFT once again with all the required documents. Also, IEC modification fee needs to be submitted with the department.
IEC is only a license permitting the import and export of goods. Therefore, no return is required to be filed under IEC code.


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BookMusings: (Re)Discovering Pagan Literature
A lively discussion of ancient and modern Pagan literature -- including children's books, graphic novels, science fiction, fantasy, and mysteries -- along with interviews, author highlights, and profiles of Pagan publishers.
On Demeter and Persephone and Hades, For Children
Demeter. Persephone. Hades. Three names well-known from Greek mythology. Like Perseus slaying Medusa, or Theseus with his ball of thread, the story of Persephone's descent to the Underworld* is one known even outside Pagan communities. The details might be lost, but most people can recite the broad outlines of the tale: Hades kidnaps Persephone and takes her down to the Underworld and her mother, Demeter, is so upset that she withholds her blessings from the Earth. Winter sets in. Only when her daughter is returned does Demeter allow the crops to grow again.
Like I said: broad outline. There are many, many different ways to interpret this myth -- coming-of-age tale, the reason for the seasons, origins of a mystery tradition, incorporation of a foreign Deity into the indigenous pantheon, and so forth. There are also different versions of this myth -- ancient, modern, feminist, and even (re)written Christian morality plays.
The story often appears in children's collections of Greek and Roman mythology. One of the oldest which has been continually reprinted is Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tanglewood Tales. Originally published in 1853, Hawthorne (who uses the Latin Deity names) explicitly notes in his introduction that he sought to render the old myths "presentable to children." He continues: "These old legends, so brimming over with everything that is most abhorrent to our Christianized moral sense. [....] was such material the stuff that children's playthings should be made of! How were they to be purified? How was the blessed sunshine to be thrown into them?"
Given his goal of "purification," Hawthorne strips the story of most of its violence and all of its sexuality. It becomes a Christian moral fable and coming-of-age tale. Proserpina is a child. King Pluto, who is never identified as her uncle, is neither evil nor sexually interested in Proserpina; he is, instead, a lonely man, who "had never been happy in his palace, and that was the true reason why he had stolen away Proserpina, in order that he might have something to love, instead of cheating his heart any longer with this tiresome magnificence."
I may not be Christian, but I love Hawthorne's language and use of imagery (see his description of Cerberus greeting King Pluto). And any parent or teacher will appreciate the common sense advice laid forth in the book: don't wander away from your parents. Stay where you are told. Be wary of strangers. Eat healthy food, not sweets. And, of course, the true treasures of life are the people we love, not material things.
Laura Geringer and Leonid Gore use Hawthorne's tale as the basis for their recent picture book adaptation, The Pomegranate Seeds. Here, Persephone is a young woman on the verge of adulthood. Demeter is a busy working single mother. And grim, lonely Hades yearns for a "lively little girl to run upstairs and down, and brighten the rooms with her smile." Geringer's text is rich with emotion -- longing, misery, love, and joy -- while Gore's acrylic and ink illustrations have a dreamy, hazy quality.
In her 1924 adaptation, Margaret Evans Price (cofounder of Fisher-Price Toys) brought the romance back into the story, at least on Pluto's part. After being pierced by one of Cupid's arrow, the King of Erebos falls instantly in love with Prosperpina. When Mercury comes to claim her, Pluto cannot deny her what she truly wants (to return to the sunlit surface), but he cannot bear to be parted from her either. So he reluctantly agrees to allow Proserpina to split the year between the two realms.
While I love Price's old-timey illustrations, I find her depiction of Proserpina annoying. She has no agency whatsoever. None. Pluto and Ceres have all the power in the story. Proserpina is not allowed to make any decisions of her own and not once is she shown to have any romantic feelings for Pluto.
Sally Pomme Clayton and Virginia Lee take a similar approach in Persephone. While Hades describes her as the "flower of my life," there is only the slightest hint that someday -- maybe -- Persephone will come to care for him, too: she finds the pomegranate seeds juicy and tasty and licks her lips in appreciation.
While Clayton's text is enjoyable enough, I love Lee's illustrations. The cover alone would have made the purchase worthwhile: Persephone, disconsolate, lies in the Underworld clutching a pomegranate while winter rules the world above. The stalactites have the appearance of crystalized roots, while the amethysts at her side imitate the lush grapes Persephone would have enjoyed with her mother. And there's that great two-page spread of Hermes flying above a dying, brown earth .... Awesome.
In contrast to Price and Clayton's texts, the Goddess ultimately makes her own decision in Kris Waldherr's Persephone and the Pomegranate. While she is taken against her will to the Underworld, in this lush retelling, the adult Persephone comes to care for the grim Pluto. When Demeter comes to rescue her daughter, Persephone opts to return with her mother -- but only for a time.
The most strikingly, wonderfully different rendition of the story which I have found is by Charlene Spretnak. In Lost Goddesses of Early Greece, Spretnak has penned a feminist, Goddess-oriented fable. Here, the emphasis is on the bonds between mother and daughter, and the daughter's deliberate assumption of responsibility; Persephone chooses to become an adult, to take her place in the world. There is no Pluto or Hades here; rather, Persephone comes to feel compassion and pity for the spirits of the dead; she realizes that there is no one else to care for them -- so she will.
The above are just a few examples of children's books featuring Demeter and Persephone and Hades. I am sure there are more. I want there to be more -- a lot more. With the exception of Spretnak's Goddess Spirituality version, I know of none which might be classified as explicitly Pagan in their creation and target audience. Books which treat this tale as a (fictional) story are fine; but I want children's books which relate a spiritually-rich, meaningful Myth. Come on, all you Hellenic and polytheist and Pagan-friendly authors and illustrators out there. Demeter and Persephone and Hades are great Gods who deserve a great children's book. What do you say?
*There are actually many other stories about these two Goddesses, but the Descent gets most of the attention. As that is the story which most often appears in books, we'll focus on it here.
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We created the book so that it could easily be used both as guided coursework in the classroom and at home for self-study. The textbook is straight-forward enough that parents, without any formal knowledge of Chinese, can use the book to teach their children Chinese words, phrases, numbers, and even basic principles of the written language. Chinese teachers can take the textbook's simplified format to the next level by challenging the students with games and questions that cause the students to think more deeply about what they are learning.
The book's colorful illustrations are designed to illuminate the meaning of the songs and chants. The pictures tell the story without interference from the native language. The book's authors, Pauline Huang and Robin Harvey have been developing the Rhythm and Tones coursework in their classrooms for years. Below are some of their suggestions for incorporating the text and CD in your own Chinese language learning efforts:
- Study the pictures first. What do you think the song is about? Can you name the children? Try to describe the pictures. Lesson 4 will help you say "This is…" and "That is…"
- Listen to the song or chant. Do you recognize any words? You might hear the names of children, or phrases from earlier songs. Begin to put together the meaning.
- Read along. You will see that each character is one spoken syllable. (Sometimes two or more characters join to form a word.) Explore the beauty and logic of Chinese characters through radicals searches.
- Play along! Small xylophones and percussion instruments enhance the rhythms and allow us to immerse ourselves in the music, forgetting that we are learning language.
- Practice pronunciation naturally. Our chants emphasize the natural speech patterns and four tones of Chinese, which are introduced in chapter, The Four Tones Chant. Try Tones Yoga and move your body with the tones.
- Play the language-based games we suggest. Try out different roles as you sing and chant. Act out the songs or chants. Play and learning are not mutually exclusive!
- Take advantage of the karaoke versions on the CD and musical scores in the back of the book. Use the original lyrics, or make up your own!


text: I was recently treated to a wonderful insight into the world of Yves Saint Laurent – a master and genius of haute couture tailoring. He worked from the top floor of the YSL house in Paris where he directed his army of tailoring ladies. This short clip reveals a fascinating insight into how he worked. Belowthe video is a photograph of one of his creations for a ladies double breasted suit.


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A little nonsense a good thing.
Today is Mad Hatter Tea Party Day sponsored by the dear and lovely Miss Vanessa Valencia at A Fanciful Twist. I love that girl and her wickedly awesome skills. She is a talented writer, photographer, sculptor, painter and all around artsy-fartsy gal.
In addition to all the stuff and nonsense and all the cupcake towers with extra sprinkles and lacy gloves and chirping birds and even sitings of the Mad Hatter himself during her party today... there is more! Vanessa is having a Buy One Get One sale in her Etsy shop...no limits! These prints of her original artwork are really incredible, printed on canvas, ready to be framed. I received 6 of them in December 2008. I have one in my studio to remind me that my muse is within me all along. Her designs are whimsical and sensitive and so achingly beautiful. I am particularly fond of........no, wait! I am not going to tell you which ones I like best! (I will reveal it with the giveaway winning post.)
With the weight of the world bearing down on us, this is a great way to join the blogosphere in a celebration of light and love and fantasy and fabulosity. To celebrate with her...I am doing a GIVEAWAY!
To enter my giveaway, all you need to do is go to Vanessa's Etsy store here, then come back to my blog and leave a comment on which one of her fab-u-lous prints is your favorite. (This picture is from Vanessa's blog...she is really talented, this one! Doesn't this party look like so much fun?)
Here are the giveaway details:
- Go to Vanessa's Etsy store here.
- Look over all the prints for sale.
- Come back to this post and leave a comment stating which one is your favorite.
- Giveaway ends on WEDNESDAY, JULY 1ST at 10pm cst. (REVISED time! I realized as I was going through all the great parties on Vanessa's Blog that it will take me at least until then to make it through! Go and visit all the others there too!)
- One entry per person, please!
- One lucky random winner will receive some pretty pearl earrings!
(Example of earrings to be won! These earrings, called Cranberry Bites, were featured in the Winter 2008 Stringing...I will make similar ones for you with your choice of pearl color! Just follow the directions above...but hurry! I will pick a winner on Sunday night June 28th!)
And...you really should go check out her blog. Like.... right now. I mean it. What are you still doing here...?! You won't be disappointed!
Check It Out::Through The Secret Keyhole
Enjoy the day!


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Ron DiCianni: Painting the Resurrection?
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Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal
Author, Little Princes (William Morrow 2010)
Founder and Executive Director of Next Generation Nepal (NGN)
Married to Liz, one son and a daughter on the way
TRIP AROUND THE WORLD Right out of college, Conor Grennan had a good job working for East West Institute, an international public policy think tank. He worked in Prague and later their European Union office in Brussels, Belgium.
Initially, Conor loved it. However, after eight years he found himself bored and needing a radical change in his life. He rashly decided to spend his life savings on a year-long trip around the world.
To squelch criticism from friends and family, Conor decided to volunteer at an orphanage during the first leg of his trip. He admits at this point he had no noble ambitions for his charity work and he "felt guilted into doing it."
Conor decided he would do his service first so he could enjoy the rest of his trip. After doing some online research, Conor found an orphanage in Nepal, the Little Princes Children's Home. He decided to volunteer for three months, and then continue on his global adventure. Conor thought this would work out well for him. He had no idea what was in store for him.
In November 2004, Conor arrived in Nepal and was acclimating to its culture. His ride from the airport to his accommodations introduced him first hand to the country's civil war. He saw armed soldiers, checkpoints, and armored vehicles. Also, he saw poverty and the religious influences of Buddhism and Hinduism along the way. Two weeks later after orientation and fulfilling his dream of hiking to Mt. Everest's base camp, Conor went to the village where the orphanage is, Godawari. Six miles from the main road in Kathmandu, it is peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of the city center.
When he arrived at the gate of the Little Princes Children's Home, the reality of why he was there hit him. He didn't have many interactions with children throughout his life and he didn't feel equipped for the job. However, Conor didn't have much time to think about that as the group of children happily greeted and jumped on him. At first, the days went slowly for him. He adjusted to the customs and the slower and more peaceful pace of life. After a couple of months, he developed close relationships with the eighteen children.
A few nights before Conor left, this bond solidified. One of the boys, Santosh, became very ill and had to be brought to the hospital. Conor stayed with Santosh and realized that at that moment he was Santosh's parent. This made an impact on Conor. Unfortunately, Santosh stayed in the hospital as Conor was leaving. On Conor's last night there, a few of the boys asked when he was coming back. He told them he didn't know and reminded them of the rest of his journey around the world. Then, he went to his room feeling overwhelmed with emotion. Conor cried, which wasn't typical for him. He was happy in Godawari and felt torn about leaving. He went back to the boys' room and told them he would return the following year. He kept his promise.
Conor finished his global tour and returned home in October 2005. In January 2006, exactly a year after he left Nepal, he returned for another three-month period at Little Princes. He was so happy to be back, and was greeted by the same happy group of children. He found that everyone had changed. Most of the volunteers except one, Farid, had returned to their homes. Conor returned to village life and became even closer to the children. There was more political unrest in the country since the last time he was there and now it was closer to the Little Princes home.
During this visit, Conor was shocked to learn that the children at the home were not orphans, but they were trafficked. One day, a mysterious woman came to Little Princes. The more Farid and Conor looked at her they realized she looked like one of the orphans, Nuraj. Upon talking to her through an interpreter they found out she was indeed Nuraj and his brother, Knish's, mother.
Apparently two years before, the Maoist rebel soldiers were taking over more villages and made a law that each family had to give one child to the rebel army. A man, Golkka, came to the villages offering protection to families from this law and promised to care for the children and their education. (As Conor listened he realized he encountered this man at Little Princes on his last visit.) When Golkka came to their village, Nuraj and Knish's mother begged him to take her children.
To raise money to pay him, the family borrowed from their relatives and sold everything they had. They would go into debt for the rest of their lives to protect their children. Throughout the villages in this region of Humla many parents were doing the same thing. Nuraj and Knish's mother packed some of their belongings and let Golkka take them. She never heard from them again. Nuraj's mother ended up living in a shack close to Little Princes. She heard about it and discovered her sons were there.
Conor brought the boys to their mother, but they wouldn't speak to her so she left. Conor and Farid found out that Golkka threatened to hurt the boys if they told anyone their mother was alive. Golkka had not kept his promise to care for the children and he abandoned them at the home. After a few days Conor and Farid told the boys it was alright to talk about their mother, who they later visited.
Conor was surprised to learn from Farid that there were seven more children at the house and that Golkka was still trafficking children. Conor and Farid formed a relationship with family. Conor came to realize that the children at Little Princes have volunteers to take care of them but these seven children were unprotected. Conor and Farid knew the urgency of this, tried to find safe homes for them, but couldn't find any. Unfortunately in April 2006, before they could find homes for the children it was time for Conor to leave.
Upon his return home, Conor started looking for a job, but it was hard for him to get back to "normal life" – his thoughts were still in Nepal. He kept in close contact with Farid. He also received word from another woman, Viva Bell, that the seven children were gone. It turned out that Golkka discovered the children were about to be rescued and took them.
With this news Conor was anxious to get back to Nepal but knew he needed to have a plan and raise money. One thing led to another and before he knew it he had a plan for a non-profit organization, Next Generation Nepal (NGN). He continued to plan, network, brainstorm, and fund raise to rescue the seven children and others like them. Conor raised enough money for a plane ticket back to Nepal and to fund a small home for a few months. In September 2006, he was back in Nepal. The country was different than it was in April.
Conor received his standard greeting from the children at Little Princes. That evening, Conor prayed for Nepal and the seven children, even though he hadn't thought about God since he was ten-years-old. During this trip he connected with some of the people he was networking with, like Anne Howe, Viva Bell, and Jacky Buk. They quickly began to look for the seven lost children. At the end of September he received an e-mail that caught his attention. A woman named Liz was inquiring about NGN. They had a lot in common.
Conor found he liked Liz immediately and they became friends. Meanwhile, Conor continued to search for the seven children. One day, one of the children was found and Conor told Liz. Liz was a Christian and told Conor that she believed that God wanted Conor to find the other children. One by one the children were being found. By mid-November, six of the seven children were found and safely placed in the Umbrella Home, run by Viva and Jacky. Also, Conor and Farid opened the first NGN children's home.
Conor and Liz continued to e-mail frequently. He invited Liz to visit since she was nearby on a mission trip in India. Around Christmas she visited him for a couple of days. After that visit Conor knew he loved Liz. Following another visit, Conor bought a Bible but didn't tell Liz. He wanted to rediscover Christianity for himself and didn't want Liz to think she was the reason for it. When he read the first page of one of the Gospels it felt like home. Amid the Buddhist and Hindu influences around him in Nepal, Conor found that Christianity resonated with him.
By early 2007, the seventh child was safely found. NGN's work continued to grow and still continues to grow. To this day the organization has helped reunite 400 families in Nepal and has three transitional homes for children. In partnership with local and international organizations NGN is working on child protection and community development as trafficking prevention. Conor and Liz are also married and are expecting their second child, a daughter. They are on the board of NGN, are based in Connecticut, and travel twice a year to Nepal.
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.


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Identifier: GA 14
New Brunswick Special Collections
The collection represents a selection of Clare Romano's artistic production, consisting of twenty one works, including 12 collagraph prints, 7 paintings and drawings, and 2 three-dimensional sculptures. There is also a small amount of archival material, including correspondence and sketches.
Identifier: GB 8
New Brunswick Special Collections
This collection primarily consists of examples of the artistic output, prints, drawings and watercolors, of artist and book illustrator Winifred Milius Lubell. Also included are sketchbooks, woodblocks for many of the prints, draft illustrations for her book Metamorphosis of Baubo and research studies for her project on marginalia in medieval books.


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Paranoid Penguin - Application Proxying with Zorp, Part I
At first glance, stateful packet filtering appears to have conquered the firewall world, both in terms of market share and mind share. The list of products based on stateful packet filtering is a long one, and it includes both the proprietary industry leader, Check Point Firewall-1, and Linux's excellent Netfilter kernel code.
But what about application-layer proxies? Professional firewall engineers have long insisted there's nothing like an application-aware proxy for blocking the widest possible range of network attacks. Indeed, being such a person myself, I've been disheartened to see application-layer proxies increasingly marginalized. In some circles they've even been written off as obsolete for reasons that simply don't warrant, in my opinion, the loss of a powerful security tool. Marketing is at least as big a reason as any other.
Apparently I'm not alone in my opinion. Balazs Scheidler, creator of the essential logging facility Syslog-NG, has created Zorp, an open-source proxy firewall product that is simply brilliant. This month I explain why Zorp has helped resuscitate my faith in the application-layer proxy firewall, and what this means for anyone charged with protecting highly sensitive networks.
At this point, some of you may be asking, "What are application-layer proxying and stateful inspection? And why do I care which is better?" I can explain. Feel free to skip ahead to the next section if you're a grizzled firewall veteran.
A firewall, of course, is a computer or embedded hardware device that separates different networks from one another and regulates what traffic may pass between them. The instructions that determine which network nodes may send what type of network packets and where are called firewall rules or, collectively, the firewall policy.
These rules are what make a firewall different from an ordinary router. Routers must be programmed to know how to move packets from one network to another, but not necessarily whether to allow them to move in any given way. A firewall, on the other hand, discriminates.
One very simple way to categorize packets is by the Internet information in packets' Internet Protocol (IP) headers. An IP header contains basic information, most importantly, protocol type, source and destination addresses, and, if applicable, source and destination ports. The ports actually are part of the next header down in the packet, the UDP header or TCP header. A firewall that looks only at this basic information is called a simple packet filter. Because simple packet filters don't look deeply into each packet, they tend to be quite fast.
However, the IP header of a packet plus its TCP or UDP port number tells us nothing about that packet's relationship to other packets. For example, if we examine the IP header of an HTTP packet, we know it's a TCP packet (thanks to the IP field), where it's from and where it's going (source and destination IP address fields) and what type of application sent it (from the destination port, TCP 80). Table 1 shows an example simple packet-filtering rule.
Table 1. Simple Packet Filter Rules for HTTP
Source IP | Destination IP | Protocol | Source Port | Destination Port | Action |
Any | 192.168.1.1 | TCP | Any | 80 | Allow |
192.168.1.1 | Any | TCP | 80 | Any | Allow |
But that level of inspection leaves out some key pieces of information about the HTTP connection: whether the packet is establishing a new HTTP session, whether it's part of a session in progress or whether it's simply a random, possibly hostile, packet not correlating to anything at all. This information is left out because crucial session-related information such as TCP flags, TCP sequence numbers and application-level commands, all are contained deeper within the packet than a packet filter digs. That's where stateful packet filtering comes in.
A stateful packet filter, like a simple packet filter, begins by examining each packet's source and destination IP addresses, and source and destination ports. But it also digs deeper into the packet's UDP or TCP header to determine whether the packet is initiating a new connection. If it is, the firewall creates an entry for the new connection in a state table. If it isn't, the stateful packet filter checks the packet against the state table to see if it belongs to an existing connection. A stateful packet filter will block packets that pretend to be part of an existing connection, but aren't. Actually, UDP is connectionless, but a good stateful firewall can guess that an outbound DNS query to a given server on UDP 53 should be followed by an inbound response from that server's UDP port 53. Stateful packet filtering has two main benefits over simple packet filtering.
First, firewall rules can be simpler. Rather than needing to describe both directions of each bi-directional transaction, such as HTTP, firewall rules need address only the initiation of each allowed transaction. Subsequent packets belonging to established, allowed connections can be handled by the firewall's state table, independently of explicit rules. In Table 2 we see that only one rule is needed to allow the same HTTP transaction for which we needed two rules in Table 1.
Table 2. Stateful Packet Filter Rule for HTTP
Source IP | Destination IP | Protocol | Source Port | Destination Port | State | Action |
Any | 192.168.1.1 | TCP | Any | 80 | New | Allow |
The second main benefit of stateful packet filtering is we don't have to do such distasteful things as allowing all inbound TCP and UDP packets from the Internet to enter our internal network if they have a destination port higher than 1024. This is the sort of thing you sometimes must do if you don't have a better way to correlate packets with allowed transactions. In other words, stateful packet filtering provides better security than simple packet filtering.
"Cool", you say, "stateful packet filters are more efficient and secure", which is true. But what about the things even stateful packet filters don't consider? What about things like potentially malformed HTTP commands or intentionally overlapping IP fragments? Might there be a type of firewall that examines each packet in its entirety or that has some other means of propagating the fewest anomalous packets possible?
Indeed there is, and it's called an application-layer proxy or application-layer gateway. Whereas packet filters, whether simple or stateful, examine all packets and pass those that are allowed, an application-layer proxy breaks each attempted connection into two, inserting itself in the middle of each transaction as an equal participant. To the client or initiator in each transaction, the firewall acts as the server. To the intended destination, or server, the firewall acts as the client.
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate this difference. In Figure 1, we see that the stateful packet filter passes or blocks transactions but ultimately is an observer in that it passes allowed packets more or less intact, unless, for example, it performs network address translation (NAT). In contrast, in Figure 2 we see that the firewall terminates each allowed connection to itself and initiates a new, proxied connection to each allowed connection's desired actual endpoint.
Figure 1. With a stateful packet filter, packets flow directly from client to server, provided they match either an allow rule or a state-table entry.
Figure 2. With an application-layer proxy, the connection is split in two. To the client, the firewall appears to be the server (transaction #1). To the server, the firewall appears to be the client (transaction #2).
Proxying comes in two flavors, transparent and nontransparent. In a transparently proxied connection, both parties are unaware that the connection is being proxied; the client system addresses its packets as though there were no firewall, with their true destination IP address. By contrast, in a nontransparently proxied connection the client must address its packets to the firewall rather than to their true destinations. Because the client must, in that case, somehow tell the firewall where to proxy the connection, nontransparent proxying requires clients to run proxy-aware applications. Although most Web browsers and FTP clients can be configured to use a nontransparent proxy, transparent proxies are easier for end users to live with than are nontransparent proxies. Modern application-layer proxies, such as Zorp, are transparent.
Transparent or not, proxying has several important ramifications. First, low-level anomalies, such as strange flags in the IP header, generally are not propagated by the firewall. The firewall initiates the secondary connection in the way that it, not the client system, considers an acceptable manner. Second, because the firewall is re-creating the client connection in its entirety and not merely propagating or trivially rewriting individual packets, the firewall is well positioned to examine the connection at the application layer. This is not a given, however; if the firewall is, say, a SOCKS firewall and not a true application-layer proxy, it simply could copy the data payloads of the client connection packets into those of the new, proxied packets. But if the firewall is application-aware, like Zorp is, the firewall not only examines but makes decisions about the data payloads of all client packets.
Let's look at an example: suppose your public Web server is vulnerable to a buffer-overflow exploit that involves a malformed HTTP GET command containing, say, an abnormally long URL. Your application-layer proxy firewall initially accepts the connection from the client, but upon examining the long URL, closes the connection with an error message to the client and a reset to the server, without ever forwarding the attack payload, the long URL.
The third ramification isn't a positive one: by definition, proxying is more resource-intensive than is packet filtering, and application-aware proxying is especially so. This strike against application-layer proxies is, however, generally overstated. Zorp, for example, can proxy 88Mbps worth of HTTP traffic, nearly twice the capacity of a T-3 WAN connection, running on only a 700MHz Celeron system with 128MB of RAM. Zorp, on a dual-processor Pentium system with 512MB of RAM and SCSI RAID hard drives, can handle around 480Mbps, according to the Zorp Professional v2 Product Description, available at www.balabit.com.
In summary, application-layer proxies provide superior protection by inserting themselves in the middle of each network transaction they allow by re-creating all packets from scratch and by making intelligent decisions on what application-layer commands and data to propagate. They accomplish this based on their knowledge about how those applications are supposed to work, not merely on how their container packets ought to look. The main strike against application-layer proxies is performance, but thanks primarily to Moore's Law, this shortcoming is mitigated amply by fast but not necessarily expensive hardware.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention one other shortcoming that many people perceive in application-layer proxies, greater complexity. It stands to reason that because application-layer proxies are more sophisticated than packet filters, it should take more sophistication to configure them, in the same way that you need to know more to operate a Mosler safe than to operate your typical bus station locker. It's more work to configure a firewall running Zorp or Secure Computing Sidewinder than it is to configure one running Check Point Firewall-1 or Linux Netfilter/iptables.
But isn't better security worth a little extra work? Like everything else in information security, it's up to you to choose your own trade-off. Maybe the extra work is worth it to you, and maybe it isn't. Either way, I hope this column makes you glad you've got the choice in the first place. The remainder of this article, which continues with at least one more installment, explains precisely what's involved in configuring and using Zorp.
The proxy dæmons that comprise Zorp run on top of the Linux kernel concurrently with the standard Netfilter and Balabit-provided TPROXY kernel modules. In theory, this makes Zorp distribution-agnostic, and it's designed to compile cleanly on any Linux distribution that meets certain requirements (see below). Zorp is developed on Debian Linux, however, and the vast majority of Zorp documentation assumes that you're running Debian too. In fact, Zorp GPL is an official Debian package (as of this writing, in Debian's testing and unstable releases).
Zorp is available in three versions: Zorp GPL, the free GPLed version; Zorp Unofficial, a cutting-edge or beta version of Zorp GPL; and Zorp Professional (or simply Zorp Pro), a commercial product based on but with more features than Zorp GPL. If you purchase Zorp Pro, you get a bootable CD-ROM that installs not only Zorp Pro but ZorpOS, a stripped-down Debian distribution optimized for Zorp. With Zorp Pro, a bare-metal Zorp installation takes less than 15 minutes, excluding subsequent configuration, of course. Anyone who's suffered through lengthy dselect sessions while trying to install just enough Debian for one's needs can appreciate the beauty of this.
Zorp Pro also includes the new Zorp Management Server (ZMS), which allows you to manage multiple Zorp firewalls from a central management host. The host in turn can be operated remotely with ZMC, a GUI client available in both Debian Linux and Windows versions. ZMS is functionally equivalent to Check Point Firewall-1's management module, arguably the biggest reason Check Point has conquered the enterprise firewall world. ZMS has the potential to make Zorp very attractive indeed to sites with a lot of firewalls to manage.
ZMS/ZMC is still a little rough around the edges—Balabit isn't expecting to release a consumer-installable version of that part of Zorp Pro in March 2004 (though at the time of this writing it is being used, successfully, by paying customers). Even if you don't use ZMS/ZMC, Zorp Pro's smooth installation and wide range of features, including several application proxies not supported in Zorp GPL, make Zorp Professional worthwhile.
Unlike Zorp Pro, Zorp GPL and Zorp Unofficial require a working Linux installation that includes the following: glib 2.0, Python 2.1, libcap 1.10 and openssl 0.9.6g. It also requires either a Linux 2.2 kernel compiled with IP, firewalling and transparent proxy support or a Linux 2.4 kernel compiled with iptables, iptables connection tracking, iptables NAT and, using Balabit's TPROXY kernel patch (www.balabit.com/products/oss/tproxy), iptables transparent proxying. All of these features should be compiled as modules.
Once your OS is ready, you either can install Zorp GPL from binary deb packages or compile Zorp GPL from source code (available at www.balabit.com/downloads). Compiling Zorp GPL is a little more involved than your typical ./configure make make install routine; see the Zorp GPL Tutorial at www.balabit.com/products/zorp_gpl/tutorial for detailed instructions.
Next time, I'll describe how to set up Zorp GPL to protect a typical Internet—DMZ—Trusted Network topology.
Mick Bauer, CISSP, is Linux Journal's security editor and an IS security consultant in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He's the author of Building Secure Servers With Linux (O'Reilly & Associates, 2002).


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It's a total mystery to me how Catalan cuisine, out of all the cuisines in the world, could have given birth to the ultra-complicated school of molecular gastronomy headed up by Ferran Adria. Catalan cooking, in its non-molecular state, is centred in simplicity and great ingredients; there's a growing collection of super-simple tapas here on Gastronomy Domine, all of which are typical of the region.
My newly minted sister-in-law, Katie, has family in Barcelona and studied Catalan at university. She and my brother married just outside Barcelona, which afforded them the perfect opportunity for a wedding meal made up of course after course of delicious tiny nibbly tapas, alongside a whole leg of Iberico ham (complete with a knife-wielding dude to carve it), three enormous dishes of paella cooked over propane burners and enough fruit tart (standing in for wedding cake) to sink an armada.
Pan con tomate, as you'll have guessed if you've ever visited Barcelona, was on the wedding table (alongside chorizo al vino, padron peppers, positive gallons of sangria, and some garlicky prawns, croquetas, boquerones and other bits and bobs I'll blog recipes for later on). It might just be the recipe with the best ease-of-making to total-deliciousness rating ratio in the world. I'm not even going to list amounts below – it'd go against the whole nature of the thing.
Quality of ingredients is always important, whatever you're cooking; but if you're making something this simple it becomes absolutely paramount. You should look for a really dense bread (not wholemeal) with a decent chewiness to it. And the tomatoes – hoo boy. There is no point in making this recipe at any time of year when you can't get a decent supply of juicy, fresh, large tomatoes. You're best off by far with tomatoes from your own greenhouse, and the things that resemble red potatoes from the supermarket should be avoided at all costs. Reckon on using half a tomato on each slice of bread. Your garlic should be plump and unblemished, and your olive oil the very best you can get your hands on.
You'll need:
Good sourdough bread
Very ripe, large tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt (I like Maldon salt here)
Grill the slices of bread until golden, and rub each slice with the garlic pieces, which will wear down to nubbins as you go. Cut a tomato in half and rub it on a garlicky slice of bread, pushing as you go to make sure the juices and seeds are pressed into the piece of bread. Discard the pulp.
Pour a generous slug of olive oil over each slice of tomato bread, and sprinkle with a little salt.
These are fantastic just on their own, and can be made even better by laying a slice of raw Iberico ham on top before taking a bite.


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In each round a master list of bigrams is created for all players to use. Players try to think famous people, real or fictional, with initials matching each bigram on the list. Players score one point for a valid answer that matches another player, two points for an answer with no matches, and three points for answer in which no other player can think of any answer for a particular set of initials.
A common way to create a master list of bigrams is to write the letters A through Z in the left column (first name initials) and the first 26 letters of some quotation or saying in the right column (last name initials).


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We had lots of you who played in the snow and ice with us for our last challenge and we loved them all!!!! All of you are so talented and it is a joy to visit all of your wonderful blogs.
The winner of our snow and ice challenge is...... #70. Cris that's you with this delightful winter scene. Can't you just see her ready to ski down some slippery slope?
Congratulations Cris, you have won a $10 voucher to Stamp Fairy. Contact me at the e-mail on the right side bar to claim your prize.
Sheena chose our top 3 this time and what beauties they are.
#27 Tracy
#44 Shelby
#47 Laila AKA Koneko
Congratulations on making top 3. Your work is stunning.
This fortnights challenge is sponsored by Crafty Sentiments Designs. They are a new sponsor for us and their images are just darling.
I want to give them a great big welcome to Creative Card Crew and I hope each of you will visit them and let them know how appreciative we are with their sponsorship!
The winner will recieve 3 digis of the winners choice.
Our challenge to you is.... girly. Now is the time to pull out all that pink and bling that we know all of you enjoy using.
Just look at what our designers did with the images that Crafty Sentiments Designs let us play with.
Ani using Tess Summer Fun
Cathy using Scilla Fairy
Cheryl using Tess Summer Fun
Deanette using Eve
Elisa using Scilla Fairy
Elle using Tess Summer Fun
FiLoMa using Tess Summer Fun
Jan using Eve
Margaret using Summer (rubber)
Mari using Tess Summer Fun
Sheena using Tess Summer Fun
Now it is your turn and we can't wait to see what you create!


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Ready to see drones flying over your house? A new bill passed by Congress will give commercial, private and military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) greatly increased access to U.S. airspace that's currently reserved only for manned planes.
Right now drones are mostly limited to the U.S.-Mexico border and military airspace, as well as use by around 300 public agencies located far away from cities and airports. That is now scheduled to change by September 30, 2015.
(MORE: Gears of War: Inside America's Incredible Military Arsenal)
The main focus of the bill is the FAA's adoption of NextGen, a program that will allow commercial aircraft to install and use GPS technology for steeper, more efficient take-offs and landings instead of the ridiculously outdated way things are done now. All in all, this should help make air travel a lot more time efficient.
We shouldn't, however, ignore the implications of letting drones into airspace that was previously off-limits. While the military and local police forces have long been able to use UAVs in operations on U.S. soil, the prospect of commercial and privately owned drones presents plenty of new questions.
First, there's the issue of privacy. Rigging a cheap drone with a video camera was no problem for an Occupy protestor; how hard would it be for someone with deeper pockets to finance a drone with even more powerful surveillance equipment to monitor, well, who knows what? How will we know what purposes any private citizen has for deploying a drone overhead?
Then there are the corporations. Forbes points out that companies like Google could ditch their Street View cars and start deploying advanced, autonomous drones to roam the country for incredibly thorough mapping. If the idea of fleets of corporate-owned drones monitoring us from above doesn't scare you, then you are a much less paranoid person than I.
Safety is the other unmanned albatross in the room. According to the Associated Press, "Within nine months of the bill's passage, the FAA is required to submit a plan on how to safely provide drones with expanded access."
What will that entail? The Air Line Pilots Association thinks that all drone operators should have the same amount of training as pilots, a standard that would eliminate a lot of potential drone enthusiasts and force corporations to hire pilots (which we would hope they would do anyway). It seems like a sound idea.
In the end, drones are going to have a lot less leeway when it comes to crashing. If a pilot crashes through someone's roof and dies, it's an unpredictable tragedy. If a drone crashes through someone's roof and explodes? Expect plenty of moral outrage. Let's hope the lawmakers err on the side of caution, lest one downed drone ruin it for everybody.