text:
By Marco Davids <email@example.com>
NOTE to maintainer:
As far as I am concerned, this IPv6-IPv4 tunneling is not per definition GRE tunneling. You could tunnel IPv6 over IPv4 by means of GRE tunnel devices (GRE tunnels ANY to IPv4), but the device used here ("sit") only tunnels IPv6 over IPv4 and is therefore something different.
This is another application of the tunneling capabilities of Linux. It is popular among the IPv6 early adopters, or pioneers if you like. The 'hands-on' example described below is certainly not the only way to do IPv6 tunneling. However, it is the method that is often used to tunnel between Linux and a Cisco IPv6 capable router and experience tells us that this is just the thing many people are after. Ten to one this applies to you too ;-)
A short bit about IPv6 addresses:
IPv6 addresses are, compared to IPv4 addresses, really big: 128 bits against 32 bits. And this provides us just with the thing we need: many, many IP-addresses: 340,282,266,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,465 to be precise. Apart from this, IPv6 (or IPng, for IP Next Generation) is supposed to provide for smaller routing tables on the Internet's backbone routers, simpler configuration of equipment, better security at the IP level and better support for QoS.
An example: 2002:836b:9820:0000:0000:0000:836b:9886
Writing down IPv6 addresses can be quite a burden. Therefore, to make life easier there are some rules:
Don't use leading zeroes. Same as in IPv4.
Use colons to separate every 16 bits or two bytes.
When you have lots of consecutive zeroes, you can write this down as ::. You can only do this once in an address and only for quantities of 16 bits, though.
The address 2002:836b:9820:0000:0000:0000:836b:9886 can be written down as 2002:836b:9820::836b:9886, which is somewhat friendlier.
Another example, the address 3ffe:0000:0000:0000:0000:0020:34A1:F32C can be written down as 3ffe::20:34A1:F32C, which is a lot shorter.
IPv6 is intended to be the successor of the current IPv4. Because it is relatively new technology, there is no worldwide native IPv6 network yet. To be able to move forward swiftly, the 6bone was introduced.
Native IPv6 networks are connected to each other by encapsulating the IPv6 protocol in IPv4 packets and sending them over the existing IPv4 infrastructure from one IPv6 site to another.
That is precisely where the tunnel steps in.
To be able to use IPv6, we should have a kernel that supports it. There are many good documents on how to achieve this. But it all comes down to a few steps:
Get yourself a recent Linux distribution, with suitable glibc.
Then get yourself an up-to-date kernel source.
Go to /usr/src/linux and type:
make menuconfig
Choose "Networking Options"
Select "The IPv6 protocol", "IPv6: enable EUI-64 token format", "IPv6: disable provider based addresses"
In other words, compile IPv6 as 'built-in' in your kernel. You can then save your config like usual and go ahead with compiling the kernel.
HINT: Before doing so, consider editing the Makefile: EXTRAVERSION = -x ; --> ; EXTRAVERSION = -x-IPv6
There is a lot of good documentation about compiling and installing a kernel, however this document is about something else. If you run into problems at this stage, go and look for documentation about compiling a Linux kernel according to your own specifications.
The file /usr/src/linux/README might be a good start. After you accomplished all this, and rebooted with your brand new kernel, you might want to issue an '/sbin/ifconfig -a' and notice the brand new 'sit0-device'. SIT stands for Simple Internet Transition. You may give yourself a compliment; you are now one major step closer to IP, the Next Generation ;-)
Now on to the next step. You want to connect your host, or maybe even your entire LAN to another IPv6 capable network. This might be the "6bone" that is setup especially for this particular purpose.
Let's assume that you have the following IPv6 network: 3ffe:604:6:8::/64 and you want to connect it to 6bone, or a friend. Please note that the /64 subnet notation works just like with regular IP addresses.
Your IPv4 address is 188.8.131.52 and the 6bone router has IPv4 address 220.127.116.11
# ip tunnel add sixbone mode sit remote 220.127.116.11 [local 188.8.131.52 ttl 255] # ip link set sixbone up # ip addr add 3FFE:604:6:7::2/126 dev sixbone # ip route add 3ffe::0/16 dev sixbone
Let's discuss this. In the first line, we created a tunnel device called sixbone. We gave it mode sit (which is IPv6 in IPv4 tunneling) and told it where to go to (remote) and where to come from (local). TTL is set to maximum, 255.
Next, we made the device active (up). After that, we added our own network address, and set a route for 3ffe::/15 (which is currently all of 6bone) through the tunnel. If the particular machine you run this on is your IPv6 gateway, then consider adding the following lines:
# echo 1 >/proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf/all/forwarding # /usr/local/sbin/radvd
The latter, radvd is -like zebra- a router advertisement daemon, to support IPv6's autoconfiguration features. Search for it with your favourite search-engine if you like. You can check things like this:
# /sbin/ip -f inet6 addr
If you happen to have radvd running on your IPv6 gateway and boot your IPv6 capable Linux on a machine on your local LAN, you would be able to enjoy the benefits of IPv6 autoconfiguration:
# /sbin/ip -f inet6 addr 1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP> mtu 3924 qdisc noqueue inet6 ::1/128 scope host 3: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast qlen 100 inet6 3ffe:604:6:8:5054:4cff:fe01:e3d6/64 scope global dynamic valid_lft forever preferred_lft 604646sec inet6 fe80::5054:4cff:fe01:e3d6/10 scope link
You could go ahead and configure your bind for IPv6 addresses. The A type has an equivalent for IPv6: AAAA. The in-addr.arpa's equivalent is: ip6.int. There's a lot of information available on this topic.
There is an increasing number of IPv6-aware applications available, including secure shell, telnet, inetd, Mozilla the browser, Apache the webserver and a lot of others. But this is all outside the scope of this Routing document ;-)
On the Cisco side the configuration would be something like this:
! interface Tunnel1 description IPv6 tunnel no ip address no ip directed-broadcast ipv6 address 3FFE:604:6:7::1/126 tunnel source Serial0 tunnel destination 184.108.40.206 tunnel mode ipv6ip ! ipv6 route 3FFE:604:6:8::/64 Tunnel1But if you don't have a Cisco at your disposal, try one of the many IPv6 tunnel brokers available on the Internet. They are willing to configure their Cisco with an extra tunnel for you. Mostly by means of a friendly web interface. Search for "ipv6 tunnel broker" on your favourite search engine.


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Where Apple and I Differ
November 2nd, 2016Apple's release of the new Touch Bar MacBook Pro has made a lot of news. There's good reason: it's a signal to us longer-term fans of Macintosh computers that things are different now.
I don't have a whole lot to add to the commentary that's circulating, but what I do have is personal thoughts about my working relationships with Mac, sprinkled with a bit of sentimentality.
The Chime
You don't buy a Mac because it does spreadsheets and websurfing better than any computer. You buy a Mac because you appreciate the design, enjoy using the operating system, and love the little personality quirks.
Like the start up chime.
The Mac start up chime doesn't add anything to its usability or purpose. It doesn't make your work stand out, or help Safari render websites faster. What it does do, however, is help you appreciate the computer on your desk, or on your lap. It's the spark of personality that inspires people to name their computer. It's a signal to say, "I'm going to work on this computer that I enjoy using." It's the orchestra warming up before the big performance.
The lack of the chime, while not the end of the world, is another example of the Mac losing its personality over time. And that makes me sad.
(I mean, the sound is so iconic it's in a Pixar film!)
While surely it added nothing concrete to the Mac user experience, taking it away eliminates a bit of the spirit that was in the Macintosh all these years.
Ports and Dongles
I get it: introducing and picking a winning port has historical precedent, and maybe it'll all end up just fine.
But Stephen Hackett's point that a G3 PowerMac held on to legacy ports is apt – in fact, it's why I keep my blue and white Yosemite around.
For "pros," a diversity of ports is important: photographers' needs are different than audio engineers' needs are different than illustrators' needs. Over time, it may be that USB-C takes over the world, but we don't live in that world yet, and pros have to get work done today.
Now it seems Apple is in the dongle business more than the personal computer business.
Limiting Options
Only so much hard drive room. Only so much RAM. Only one kind of port. No upgradable hard drive.
You thought Steve Job was insistent about limiting your options on a Mac, Apple of late is taking his philosophy to another level.
Recent Macs' lack of upgradability has been a real downer. I've owned my 2009 iMac for seven years now, and it's lasted this long because I've kept up with upgrades – especially RAM. Memory needs change, and the fact that you can't touch a lot of the parts of the make is depressing.
Want an upgrade? Buy a new Mac.
Not Meeting Eye to Eye
I feel like Apple is making a computer that works less and less like I do.
I'm a photographer, so the lack of an SD card slot stinks. The personality is leaving. The upgrade path is non-existent. Maybe the only saving grace is that Macs still run macOS, still the best operating system out there.
And it could be that I would be just fine owning one of the new MacBook Pros. It's just that right now I'm in the market for a new iMac, and those options aren't all that appealing either. If/when an iMac update comes, do I see things getting better or worse?
Worse. That's what makes me nervous.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
New research has questioned the reliability of neuroscience studies, saying that conclusions could be misleading due to small sample sizes.
A team led by academics from the University of Bristol reviewed 48 articles on neuroscience meta-analysis which were published in 2011 and concluded that most had an average power of around 20 per cent – a finding which means the chance of the average study discovering the effect being investigated is only one in five.
The paper, being published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience today [10 April], reveals that small, low-powered studies are 'endemic' in neuroscience, producing unreliable research which is inefficient and wasteful.
It focuses on how low statistical power – caused by low sample size of studies, small effects being investigated, or both – can be misleading and produce more false scientific claims than high-powered studies.
It also illustrates how low power reduces a study's ability to detect any effects, and shows that when discoveries are claimed, they are more likely to be false or misleading.
The paper claims there is substantial evidence that a large proportion of research published in scientific literature may be unreliable as a consequence.
Another consequence is that the findings are overestimated because smaller studies consistently give more positive results than larger studies. This was found to be the case for studies using a diverse range of methods, including brain imaging, genetics and animal studies.
Kate Button, from the School of Social and Community Medicine, and Marcus Munafò, from the School of Experimental Psychology, led a team of researchers from Stanford University, the University of Virginia and the University of Oxford.
She said: "There's a lot of interest at the moment in improving the reliability of science. We looked at neuroscience literature and found that, on average, studies had only around a 20 per cent chance of detecting the effects they were investigating, even if the effects are real. This has two important implications - many studies lack the ability to give definitive answers to the questions they are testing, and many claimed findings are likely to be incorrect or unreliable."
The study concludes that improving the standard of results in neuroscience, and enabling them to be more easily reproduced, is a key priority and requires attention to well-established methodological principles.
It recommends that existing scientific practices can be improved with small changes or additions to methodologies, such as acknowledging any limitations in the interpretation of results; disclosing methods and findings transparently; and working collaboratively to increase the total sample size and power.
'Power failure: why small sample size undermines the reliability of neuroscience' by Katherine Button, John Ioannidis, Claire Mokrysz, Brian Nosek, Jonathan Flint, Emma Robinson and Marcus Munafo in Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
For further information, please contact Philippa Walker in the University of Bristol's Press Office on 0117 928 7777 or email@example.com
Nature Neuroscience


text:
Another week, another food-safety crisis in China. Several news networks — Associated Press, Australian Press and Xinhua — report that 11 people have died and anywhere from 120 to 140 were sickened by contaminated vinegar. Stoking tensions further is the reason so many were poisoned at once: The victims live in a small village in far-west Xinjiang province and are ethnic Uighurs, the minority group whose desire for political independence from Beijing led to brutally suppressed riots in 2009. Uighurs are overwhelmingly Muslim, and most of the small village, about 150 people, had gathered for an iftar meal to break their Ramadan fast.
The poisoning appears to be due to ethylene glycol; the vinegar had been stored in barrels that previously contained antifreeze. According to the AP, investigators haven't yet been able to say whether the vinegar was put in the barrels out of ignorance, making it a problem of accidental contamination, or deliberately by an unscrupulous producer seeking to cut corners.
It's the second vinegar scandal in China this month. Two weeks ago, an official of the association that oversees vinegar production in Shanxi province claimed that 95 percent of its highly regarded "aged" vinegar is dosed with industrial acid in order to cut fermentation time and turn out batches faster.
And those are just the latest. They follow the meat that glowed in the dark; the tainted buns; the exploding watermelons; the 40 tons of bean sprouts containing antibiotics and carcinogens; the rice contaminated with heavy metals; the mushrooms imbued with bleach; and the pork so dosed with banned stimulants that athletes attending an international meet in Shanghai had to be told which restaurants were safe to eat at.
Three years after the melamine-in-milk scandal that made 300,000 children sick, and two years after China passed its first-ever food safety law in response, the country is still struggling to keep its food supply healthy. The Chinese government recently cracked down, closing almost 5,000 food-producing businesses and arresting 2,000 people — but China experts say a needlessly complex bureaucracy and ferocious determination to turn a profit mean the contamination will keep coming. (On forums where expats chat, Westerners living in China wonder whether there is anything safe to eat.) (Update: Commenters at the China Law Blog, many of them apparently resident in China, reflect the same anxiety.)
It's tempting to view these Chinese food scandals as interesting but remote, the learning curve of a society that pushes unfettered capitalism but never experienced the kind of progressive movement that led to food-safety reform in the United States. Except for one small detail: Chinese products don't stay in China. They are traded around the world, and increasingly they are sold here.
The permeability of the US marketplace to Chinese goods of uncertain origin should have been clear in 2007, when melamine contamination was found not only in milk sold in China but in pet food sold in the U.S. (Up to 4,000 pets are believed to have died.)
But a report published in June by the Food and Drug Administration makes it clear that imports from China are increasing in the US — and that the FDA is underfunded and under-equipped to deal with it. The unusual "special report," called Pathway to Global Product Safety and Quality, said imports include:
— 10-15 percent of all food eaten in US households
— 60 percent of fruits and vegetables
— 80 percent of seafood
— 50 percent of medical devices
— 80 percent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in medications.
China is the major player in that market growth, with India a close second:
Import lines from emerging markets, including Mexico, India, China, and Thailand, increased faster between 2002 and 2009 than lines from developed markets, and this disparity is likely to continue. China and India are each expected to see a more than 400% increase in their product exports between now and 2020, with China accounting for nearly 20% of all global product exports by that time… China and India are each expected to see 9% annual growth in food exports between 2010 and 2020.
And with surprising frankness, the FDA admitted that it cannot keep up:
FDA does not — nor will it — have the resources to adequately keep pace with the pressures of globalization. In 2008 the Government Accountability Office recommended that FDA increase inspections of foreign drug establishments and improve information it receives to manage overseas inspections. But at current rates, it would take an estimated nine years for FDA to inspect every high- priority pharmaceutical facility just once. The same holds for food products. [The 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act] directs the agency to inspect at least 600 foreign food facilities within the next year and double those inspections every year for the next five. While the goal may be attainable in the first year, it would be impossible for FDA to complete 19,200 foreign food inspections in year six without a substantial increase in resources or a complete overhaul in the way it operates.
(Just to be clear, the FDA is not getting "a substantial increase in resources." As Food Safety News reported after the budget deal was struck, the agency initially faced deep cuts and now at best will have flat funding.)
The FDA isn't alone in thinking it isn't up to the job of policing imported food. The Office of the Inspector General in its parent department, Health and Human Services, said in June that the agency is performing erratically in policing recalls of imported foods. In April, the Government Accountability Office said that, even given its limited resources, the FDA needs to do a better job policing imported seafood specifically.
China, the GAO report said,is the largest single supplier of seafood imported to the US. But in the past 6 years, the FDA has inspected 41 — 1.5 percent — of the 2,744 Chinese seafood processors selling to the U.S.
Maryn McKenna is a journalist for national magazines and the author of SUPERBUG and BEATING BACK THE DEVIL. Follow @marynmck on Twitter.
This post originally appeared Aug. 23, 2011, at Wired Science's Superbug.


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Nerium oleander Dwarf Red
- Category: Drought Tolerant, Woody Ornamentals
- Mature Height: 3-4'
- Mature Width: 3-4'
- Light Requirements: Full Sun
- Water Requirements: Moderate to Little Water
- Hardiness Zones: 10, 11, 8, 9
This fast growing evergreen shrub performs beautifully as a landscape anchor plant, a natural screen, or planted along highway medians. Standard oleanders flower in shades of red, pink, and white, but other colors and varieties are available. Plants begin blooming in early summer and continue through mid-autumn. The flowers of the oleander form 2" blossoms in large showy clusters on the new growth of the plant. While their flowers don't actually provide nectar, they trick pollinators such as bees and moths to pollinate them. When the shrubs are not blooming, their leathery-green leaves are very attractive and give your landscape a tropical flair. Oleanders are typically evergreen but can lose foliage or die back to the ground when they are exposed to temperatures below 20 degrees F. Often, plants will flush back from the root zone once temperature warm again in spring. Oleanders can also handle radiant heat very well from nearby walls and pavements and are very drought tolerant. Oleanders can grow in a variety of soil types but require good drainage. If you need to prune or shape your oleander be sure to do it in early spring to avoid loss of flowers.
View Availability


text:
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This policy applies to information we collect:
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text:
In Solemn Remembrance - AirPods and AirPods Pro Case Cover
In Solemn Remembrance - AirPods and AirPods Pro Case Cover
Regular price
Regular price
Sale price
Unit price
This custom AirPods cover safeguards your AirPods/AirPods Pro against bumps, scratches, and drops. With each personalized AirPod case you also get a metal carabiner for secure, effortless transportation. Compatible with the regular and wireless charging case for Airpods and AirPods Pro. Both AirPod and Airpod Pro cases are available in 5x colors: White, Navy, Pink, Mint, and Black.
.: Material: Premium Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)
.: Great protection from drops and scratches
.: Stipple print texture
.: Metal carabiner included
.: The cover works with both wireless and regular charging ports
.: NOTE: Neither cover is compatible with 3rd gen. AirPods. The Pro Case Cover is not compatible with 2nd gen. AirPods
Shipping Conditions
Shipping Conditions
Shipping Time to USA 1 - 2 Weeks


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I am running a post-apocalyptic zombie game with a dark and mature story, exploring a number of adult themes. I have complete buy-in from the players; some of them have stated it is their favourite role playing experience ever.
One of the PCs took a Hindrance called Enemy(Major), but left the details about exactly who the enemy is up to me. I haven't decided what to do with it yet: as it is the Major version of the Hindrance, it has to be pretty significant. I've rejected a number of ideas for not being strong enough, but an unexpected twist in the character's actions has presented an ideal opportunity.
The problem is, it is probably the most unpleasant, dark and adult plot idea I have ever had, and I don't know whether it would be acceptable to the players in the group (it is only just about acceptable to me). I find myself in a difficult situation because I really don't want to ask any of them for opinions as it would completely spoil the impact of the idea should I go ahead with it.
So my question is - How can I check whether an extremely adult/mature plot idea would be accepted by players without revealing any details of the idea itself?


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Year of the Break Up: Couples Who Split in 2015
Love doesn't always last, and couples do break up from time to time. But it happened so often in 2015, you'd think splitting was the hot new trend that's hit the celebrity world.
While we've seen couples like Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux, as well as Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder and Twilight actress Nikki Reed, tie the knot this year, there are way, way more couples that just couldn't make it work. And after a while, it seemed like there was a new breakup each week. (Because there was!)
Although new celeb couples may be more likely not to last long, there were a number of longtime marriages that headed straight for divorce, making us question if love really lasts in the public eye. If Gwen and Gavin can't make it...is love really dead?! (And don't even get us started on Zayn Malik and Perrie Edwards.)
With all the couples that bit the dust this year, we wanted to give you a solid recap of the relationships that fell apart in 2015 — from the dramatic, shocking splits to the "amicable" separations.
Pour one out for these folks, 'cause this is truly the Year of the Break Up. Check out the gallery above.
Shocking Break Ups From Over the Years


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More same-sex couples will now be able to receive Social Security survivors benefits.
Previously, the surviving spouse or partner was eligible only if the couple had been married for nine months, although earlier bans on same-sex marriage made that time frame impossible to meet.
Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ rights group, filed a pair of class action lawsuits on behalf of two couples in 2018 seeking to overturn the requirement. Lower courts had ruled in favor of the couples, but those decisions were appealed by the Trump administration. The Biden administration had taken no action on the cases.
But Lambda Legal says the Justice Department and the Social Security Administration on Monday dropped their appeals.
"The relief of today's action by the federal government is almost palpable," said Lambda Legal senior counsel Karen Loewy in a statement. "For decades, same-sex couples paid into social security, just like different-sex couples. The difference was, only one group always had the freedom to marry, leading to gross inequalities that continued to linger. Today, that differential and discriminatory treatment conclusively ends, and surviving same-sex partners and spouses can securely access the benefits that they are owed and that can be essential to their continued health and safety."
Lambda filed suit on behalf of Helen Thornton, who the group says sought survivors benefits after her partner of 27 years, Marge Brown, died in 2006, before same-sex couples in the state of Washington were legally able to marry.
The other suit was filed on behalf of Michael Ely, who married his partner of 43 years, James "Spider" Taylor after Arizona's ban on same-sex marriage was overturned in 2014. Taylor died six months later.
In the Lambda statement, Thorton said, "Marriage equality came too late for many of us, but it was not too late to fix this problem involving survivor's benefits. I hope everyone who has been harmed by this problem, but never dared to apply for benefits, understands that this development is a game-changer. The pathway is now finally open to everyone."
Ely said, "I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. One of Spider's final hopes was that I would be able to access these benefits. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief that these benefits are now finally secure, not only for me but for everyone else who found themselves in the same boat."
The Social Security Administration did not respond to a request for comment.
The Justice Department would not comment but pointed to a letter then-acting Solicitor General Brian Fletcher sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last month, stating that DOJ would not appeal the lower courts decisions.
However, it added, "The Department continues to believe that the nine-month duration-of-marriage requirement for widow's and widower's insurance benefits is constitutional, and the Department will defend the constitutionality of that requirement in the future. Nonetheless, the Department has concluded that continued litigation of that question is not warranted in the particular circumstances presented by these cases and has instead agreed to a settlement."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Avengers: Age of Ultron
When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) jump-starts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go terribly awry, forcing him, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the rest of the Avengers to reassemble. As the fate of Earth hangs in the balance, the team is put to the ultimate test as they battle Ultron, a technological terror hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they encounter two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.
Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
Joss Whedon


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September 2018
Oslo, Norway


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This morning, Joe Paduda, at Managed Care Matters, did the workers' compensation community a service with his blog post What Job?, in which he writes about the likely prospect of many jobs disappearing due to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
AI is permeating every industry. For example, watch Motoman's nearly human-free plant in Sweden as robots assemble, package, shrink wrap and ship thousands of Ikea bookcases, or a BMW plant in Germany as robots build the i3 electric car from scratch and with amazing precision, or CNN as its reporters show how Google's driverless cars are navigating California and three other states.
This is one of the defining issues of our time, and one in which I am profoundly interested. I suggest it is not hyperbole to predict that we are on the verge of an epochal change, something like a kind of mass extinction, and what's going extinct is an enormous number of jobs. This change might be even more significant than humanity's evolution from an agrarian to an industrial economy.
Mr. Paduda cites the the Frey and Osborne paper from Oxford University's Oxford Martin School that suggests up to 47% of jobs run the risk of going the way of the Woolly Mammoth by 2025. The paper is highly controversial and its conclusions have been hotly debated. Even so, the most conservative naysayers agree that the figure is at least 16% (but that figure doesn't take into account the jobs that the AI revolution will create, estimated at about 9%, for a net job loss of 7%). So, you can see there's a huge difference of opinion. Regardless, millions of jobs will be lost. Add into that mix the following, and you have a wicked brew for the future:
- The rise of the Millennials, whose cultural and social thinking, as well as their total buy-in to AI technological development, is nearly diametrically opposed to today's economic leaders, the Baby Boomers, who are now exiting the work force at the rate of one every seven seconds;
- Rapidly increasing economic inequality throughout the workforce. For example, consider that since 1973 inflation has grown 533%, while hourly wages for non-farm US Production and Non-Supervisory employees, measured in constant 1984 dollars, have risen a whopping 4%;
- Put that beside the Disappearing Act of US labor unions. Whatever you think of them, unions were good at negotiating hourly wages and other benefits like health care. But with only 6.7% of the private sector unionized today, that doesn't happen anymore, so we're left with a near total change in how we pay for health care today, as well as what we get for it, compared with how we paid and what we got for it in 1973. For example, we now have $2,000 (or more) deductibles, significant increases in employee premium contributions, the gold medal for the highest cost for health care in the developed world, way-over-the-top histrionics surrounding the Affordable Care Act, etc. You get the picture.
- The increasing need for both cognitive and social skills in entrance level jobs on track for middle class wages (presuming there is a middle class). See The Increasing Complementarity of Cognitive and Social Skills, by Catherine J. Weinberger, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- The continued accuracy of the 1965 technological development prediction, known as Moore's Law. Simply stated, Gordon Moore, the founder of Intel, predicted that computing power would approximately double every two years, and it has – since 1965. Moore has recently revised his prediction to two and a half years through the next decade.
- Finally, the rise of what can be called the "intellectual" robots as exemplified by IBM's Watson, which, in addition to handily beating all-time champion Ken Jennings at Jeopardy, is already doing a better job of reading XRays, CT Scans and MRIs than human radiologists. And here's something to ponder along that line: Many agree that a workers' compensation claims adjuster with a lost time caseload of 100 to 125 claims has the ideal caseload (a few nights ago at a Central New Jersey Claims Association meeting I was talking with a motivated and energetic workers' comp claims adjuster for a company that shall go nameless – but it's respected and well-known – who told me she's carrying 180, and that's the norm for her group). How would Watson do on that? Watson, a machine that sounds like the Hal 9000, never sleeps and could analyze thousands, maybe more, of lost time claims a second. IBM says that human involvement with Watson is critically important, but how many people does that mean? After the initial intake with the claimant, how much claim management could shift to Watson? You may not agree, but it seems to me that more than a few workers' comp claims adjusters may soon begin to resemble that long-gone Woolly Mammoth.
I'll leave you with a question: Do you think it would have been appropriate if this subject had made it onto the agenda for the upcoming WCRI Annual Conference in Boston, March 10 and 11? Regardless of your answer, I'll be there and will be happy to dive deep into the AI crease with any interested attendees.
Hope to see you there.


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Lisbeth, the lone eyewitness of a shocking murder, believes the FBI witness protection program may be the only way for her to survive. But when a powerful explosion reduces the safe house to ashes, killing all of the FBI agents on duty, will she turn to a perfect stranger for help?
Ethan, an ex-Marine-turned-firefighter, has never really cared for any woman. He lives his life to the fullest, enjoying the bad boy stigma and cultivating a particular taste for dominant sex. Girls come and go, allowed to stay only long enough to satisfy Ethan's wild appetite.
One morning at dawn, Ethan's fire brigade is called to a fatal house explosion that levels the structure. When he pries open a trap door to the hidden panic room under the house, he find a gorgeous, though disheveled brunette. Lisbeth instantly turns Ethan's world upside down, and he's overcome by the burning desire to protect her, no matter the consequences.
Jack stood beside me. He was a big guy, even taller and bulkier than myself. At six-foot-two I towered over most of my buddies and coworkers. In our heavy fireproof coats, pants, and bunker boots we looked like giants next to the short and plump chief.
Chief glanced back and to the sides, as if making sure nobody can overhear us. "Jack, take the battalion lead. The captain stays here. I have a special mission for him."
"Yes, sir." Jack nodded and rushed into the building, no questions asked.
"What? You want me to leave my guys and stay here? What's going on?" I was puzzled. Such thing has never happened before. I was the captain, and my team was my responsibility. But this was also a direct order, and I knew better than to question my superior.
The chief lifted his hand, palm facing me in a conciliatory gesture. "Jack can lead the team well enough. You are required to take on another task." He motioned to the area where the excavation team was moving the equipment off the side. "You're going to that panic room. With your Marine's training, you're my best man for the job."
"Jack has received the same training as I have, Chief."
He sighed and ran his hand through his thinning gray hair. "I know, Ethan. But Jack's temper is better utilized there," he nodded toward the building, "while you know how to restrain yourself. Besides, this… well, hell, I will tell you what the feds said. But that's not to be discussed with anyone, Ethan. In that panic room is a sole witness to some big case the FBI is involved in. She's young and terrified, and who knows in what state of mind she is after this mess here. They're afraid she will pull out, and they'll lose the only witness they need to pin down some troublemaker. What we need now is someone who can ease her out of there and make sure she feels safe."
I gave him a skeptical look. Okay, so it was widely known that I had my way with women, although I would never kiss and tell. But some of the women apparently have done just that, because I've been quickly labeled as a "bad boy who won't settle down". No matter what, this was my private life, which I never mixed with my professional one. So why the hell would my superior hint at my special talents? I've proven to him and everyone else at work that when it comes to my job, I won't be second-guessed.
"Ethan." His bushy brows pulled together as he pinned me with his steely stare. "Look, the FBI needs her. She's the only one who can testify in that case, and apparently there is some big fish involved that can't be easily touched otherwise. I know you can talk to her and make her feel protected—"
"So that's what this is about? Giving some poor girl a false sense of security?" I kept my voice low.
He sighed. "I'm sorry, son. That came out wrong." The chief shook his head and exhaled forcefully. "Apparently, she's been already hinting at pulling out, and so this," he gestured around, "might be the last straw. What I'm asking is that you just try."
I narrowed my eyes, looking at the spot where group 3 from Rescue 12 and a few black suits congregated in a circle. More feds tried to keep the media away. Several local TV stations were at the scene, cameras rolling. I spotted Anne, standing in front of the KOTS News Station camera, talking to a large microphone with the station logo on. When she gestured to the scene behind her, the fabric of her white button-down blouse stretched tautly over her round breasts. A fleeting recollection of those gorgeous tits under my fingers surfaced from some dark depths of my mind. My cock stirred, and a pang of desire ran through me. I pushed the not-completely-unwelcome memories out of my mind.
"That's the order, Chief? I will do it, but I strongly believe I'm needed much more with my men inside that building." I shoved my thumb over my shoulder, pointing to where my guys did what was absolutely necessary—killing the possible fire inside and preventing it from spreading onto the next building.
He sighed. "It's a request. Please, Ethan. She's my daughter's age, just twenty-three; a college girl in the FBI witness protection program. The kid doesn't have any family… she sure as hell could use some help from a firefighter."
That did me in. Chief Holton's daughter was born with Down syndrome. Her mother died, giving birth to her. The girl has recently developed a rare type of leukemia and was going through chemo treatments. She was the chief's only child, and was slowly fading away. How could I possibly refuse his plea?
"Okay." I nodded curtly and started to peel off my gloves and the heavy fire protection coat. The sun was up, and I was getting uncomfortably warm. "Is there a two-way communication established with that woman? A phone or a radio?"
"There was a separate landline, but it's out of service now. Must've been damaged in the explosion. She's not answering her radio either."
"So no communication at all?"
"Nothing." He shook his head.
We passed all the media, refusing the journalists' pleads for comments about the incident. I bent at the waist, slipping under the barricade tape, Chief Holton following close behind. I heard him grunt in discomfort when he had to bend his bad knee to lower himself under the tape.
Two feds approached us. This time the chief made introductions. "Ethan, this is Agent Drasco," he motioned to one of the left, "and this is Agent Cornell."
They both nodded.
"This is Captain Ethan McCoy from Rescue 8. I briefed Captain McCoy about the situation," Chief Holton told them. We need to move in. The lady in there might need medical attention."
"How is the air supply in that panic room?" I asked.
"The room is equipped with air scrubbers. They draw in fresh air from outside and can filter it indefinitely," Agent Drasco explained.
Long enough to wait out a chemical attack for example. Or, at least the worse of it. Must be the well-constructed safe room. I thought. "So smoke from the fire should be no problem then," I said.
Agent Cornell cleared his throat and said in low baritone, "We are not completely positive on the air scrubbers functionality after the explosion. The system might've been damaged."
"Is there an escape shaft?" I inquired.
"It was checked already, and the access is blocked by a heavy debris." Agent Cornell shook his head.
"So let's have our guys clear it." What were the feds waiting for? Shouldn't that be done already?
Drasco and Cornell exchange a fleeting glance, just a flicker of the eye, but it was enough for me to catch it.
Cornell drew in a breath. "The explosives were deposited at the escape shaft exit. Good part of the passage has collapsed."
"So now this trap door here is the only way out, right?" I knew the answer, but without the complete blueprints of the underground structure I wanted to make sure we aren't missing anything.
"Correct," Drasco confirmed.
The excavation unit was done with clearing the area and salvage operation. They knew how to work fast and efficiently. Uncovered, was a small, steel trap door in the warehouse concrete floor. I kneeled by it and carefully ran my hands over the metal. There were four handles flush with the surface of the door. I wrapped my fingers around one handle opposite the massive hinges, fitting my hand into the round recess under it. I yanked on it. Nothing. I suspected the door could only be unlocked from the inside.
"I doubt we can simply pry it open. This isn't going to be easy." I examined the edges closer. "Can we get some tools to try?" I asked the guys from the drilling crew.
"This door is designed to be unlocked only from the inside," Agent Cornell confirmed my theory. He crouched next to me and rapped his knuckles on the metal surface. "And it is soundproof, so she wouldn't hear if we tried to communicate with her."
As expected, there was no response from the room. This was a real-deal safe room, not the stuff you see in the movies, where the person inside might be verbally coerced to do something that the attacker wants. Sound insulation in real life was done to eliminate such nonsense and also to prevent anyone on the outside from hearing what was going on the inside, like a phone conversation with the police. But with such powerful explosion, there was no doubt the woman inside knew something went very wrong. So why wasn't she trying to get out?
Agent Drasco stood a few feet away with three other dark suits, quietly talking on his cell phone.
"Ethan. Here!" Chief Holton handed me a crowbar.
A guy from the drilling crew walked to the opposite side of the steel door. He held another crowbar. I stood up and hooked my crowbar under the edge of the door. The other man did the same.
"If it doesn't budge easily, we might need to try one of the excavation machinery to lift that door up," Chief Holton announced. "By the looks of it, it's too thick to spring free with the crowbars.
"Yeah. We can't even make a dent here," I murmured, repositioning the crowbar. "Let's get tow equipment in here."
At that moment I heard a muffled sound like a distant scraping, coming from the trap door. Everyone else around us must've heard that too, because the quiet conversations ceased, and we all gaped in that direction. The door slowly lifted an inch and then a few more. I was kneeling right by it, so I grasped the handle with one hand and hauled up the door up, opening it completely. A pair of wide-open, bright-green eyes stared at me from under a shock of dark, tangled curls. Lush, pink lips slightly parted, but not a sound came out.
"Miss Glasson!" Cornell stooped down, his hands on his knees. "I'm Agent Cornell, FBI. This is Captain McCoy and Chief Holton, both from the Portland Fire Department.
The green eyes darted from Cornell's face to mine to Holton's and back to mine. They locked with my eyes, holding me hostage, spellbinding me with almost a child-like intensity. God, she was gorgeous; breathtaking even, with her pale complexion highlighted with a little splash of pink over her high cheekbones. Those green eyes were huge, framed in thick, long lashes. She was scared too; I could sense it, although she fought not to show it. She bit on her lower lip to keep it from trembling.
I extended my hand to her. "We're here to help, Miss. Are you hurt? The paramedics need to see you now."
She took my hand. "My name is Gloria," the girl whispered. Her skin was warm against mine, her hand fitting perfectly inside my hand.
"I'm Ethan," I whispered back. Why was I whispering?
"What happened here? It was horrible to be down and not knowing." She looked around, her eyes wide.
"There was an explosion. I'm sure the agents will explain everything to you."
"Where is Agent Vera? Agent Kolaski?"
I slowly shook my head from side to side. "The whole structure was leveled. Nobody survived. I'm sorry."
She stared at me, open-mouthed and then said, "I slept in the safe room, as always. Agent Vera told me to secure the door last night and only open it when instructed by her or Agent Kolaski. How… what caused the explosion?"
"We don't know yet. Here, let me help you out. Careful now." I gently grasped her elbow with my other hand. She had small bones and not much meat over them.
Before climbing out, she hastily put her hood on. It fell down past her forehead, shading her face from view.
Chief Holton and one of the feds were on Gloria's other side, trying to assist with guiding her out of the chamber, but she placed her palm flat on the ground and pushed herself up, swinging one knee out onto the ground covered with chunks of concrete and other debris. She still held onto my hand though, squeezing it hard, until it hurt.
I winced. For such a slim woman she packed some muscle, at least in her grip.
The feds swarmed around us like black crows. Agent Cornell was asking her questions and declaring her absolute safety. Gloria shied away from them. A deep frown settled between her dark brows, while her delicate mouth curved down as if in resolve to block off his assurances.
"Are you a paramedic?" she asked me hopefully. "I feel nauseous." There was pleading in her eyes. She was shaking.
I wrapped my turnout coat over her shoulders, and she accepted it with a look of gratitude on her face. "Yes, ma'am, I'm trained as paramedic."
Drasco came up to Gloria and said quietly, "Miss Glasson. As soon as you're checked by the EMTs, I have an order to take you to an undisclosed location.
"No!" she backed up, bumping into me.
The contact made my body aware of her even more than before. The top of her hood brushed the spot under my chin, and a shiver ran through me, straight to my cock, which stirred and strained against the fabric of my bulky pants.
"No. I want to be left alone. Do not follow me," she said without moving away from me. She looked straight at Drasco. "I was promised the absolute protection. Is this what you call safety?" Gloria angrily motioned around.
"Miss Glasson," Cornell hissed. "Not here. Not with the witnesses around, please."
"Fine," she murmured.
"Let me take you to the rescue rig." I touched her back.
She nodded and walked with me. Chief Holton and the feds went with us. Two of our EMTs were by her side already, but she seemed to want to stay close to me. That didn't really surprise me. I was used to women gravitating toward me, as if I reeked of pheromones. But there was something different about Gloria.
I was born and raised in Poland. When I was just seven-years-old I decided to learn English, because I wanted to translate my favorite Polish fairytales.
I write in multiple genres, including paranormal, fantasy, urban fiction, sci-fi, contemporary, and short stories. I am a member of Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Western Washington Chapter, author critique group, Writers In the Rain, and several authors' and readers' networking groups on Linkedin, Facebook, and Goodreads.
I love reading good books almost as much as writing them. I describe myself as "European born, American by choice". I can never decide which season I prefer—summer or fall. I speak with Polish accent and love listening to the Southern drawl. I am passionate about watercolor painting, fashion—especially stilettos, rock climbing, environment, and organic food and gardening. I live in the Seattle area with my family and a chronically curious cat, Cinnamon.


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The charts below allow for comparisons to be made between district scores and the scores for the nation and large cities nationally.
See district results for grade 8 for a more detailed report with average scores, achievement levels, and percentile results for the nation, large cities, and districts.
Average scale scores and score gaps for White and Asian students in eighth-grade NAEP mathematics, by jurisdiction: 2011
The order of jurisdictions is based solely on unrounded values (up to eight decimal places) rather than the rounded values reported in the table, and does not take into consideration whether the scores between two or more districts are significantly different from one another. Information on whether there is a significant difference between jurisdictions is located in the column "Cross-jurisdiction significant difference."
A negative number in the average score gap column indicates that the latter group in the comparison is higher than the group that it is compared to.
When scores for a single student group (e.g., all students) are compared, the significant differences are displayed using adjustments for multiple comparisons. When gaps are compared, the significant differences displayed are based on single pairwise tests of statistical significance.
For complete data, visit the NAEP Data Explorer. See scale score results for all students, by race/ethnicity, and family income.
When comparing the results for urban districts to results for the nation and large cities, it is important to consider how the demographics of the jurisdictions are different. For example, large cities and participating urban districts differ from the nation in the proportion of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (an indicator of lower family income). While the percentages of lower-income students eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch in the nation in 2011 were 52 percent at grade 4 and 48 percent at grade 8, the percentages of lower-income students in the districts ranged from 52 to 100 percent.


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Sing along with this song in order to improve your American English pronunciation and comprehension. First, read the lyrics of the song carefully and try your best to understand them. Then, listen to the song audio and sing along with the lyrics provided. Don't forget to leave a comment in the comments section below and let us know how what you think about this song.
one-two-lyricsAmerican English Pronunciation
Learn American English Pronunciation


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Sage Single Twisted Macramé 3mm 200m
- SUPER SOFT COTTON YARN. 100% recycled Oeko-Tex certified cotton. Gently twisted macrame thread.
- Awaken your creative ideas for macrame wall hangings, dream catchers or cotton rope plant baskets.
- With 200 m of macrame cord you can knot more than ever before.
- Our natural cotton yarn is packed in a natural paper box and is a thoughtful gift for environmentally conscious friends and relatives.
- It has never been easier to start knotting, even for those who are new to macrame.
We know you want your goods ASAP!
We process and ship all orders 5 days a week, Monday-Friday.
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Thousands marched in many countries last weekend against the repulsive action of the Israeli armed forces against Palestinians. A few hundred people stood outside the Israeli Embassy in Warsaw in protest at what is yet another example of Israel's lashing out, counterproductively, at its Arab neighbours.
Thousands more marched in places like Amsterdam and London. And I would have marched with them were it not for the ridiculous slogans like "We are all Hamas now," (oh, no you are not!) and "Gaza is the new Warsaw, " (oh, no it isn't). These are pantomime protestors protesting something they know little about.
Ambient music wiz Brian Eno, at the rally in Trafalgar Square, called for Israel to stop making, "a Warsaw ghetto in the Middle East."
Meanwhile, the Socialist Workers Party (yes, they do still exist, apparently) was handing out its latest comment on the situation:
A quick look at a map shows that this has little to do with stopping Hamas from sending some missiles into sections of Israel, and everything to do with strangling an entire population of people, with the aim of either destroying the leadership that was democratically elected by the Palestinians themselves or dislodging that support from the Palestinian base. I think drawing analogies between what Israel is doing and what the Nazis did in the Warsaw Ghettos of Poland is entirely appropriate.
And of course the bloggers think they have found in Israel the new Nazis.
After all, the situation faced by the Gazans is ominously similar to that faced by Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War Two. Penned in by the Nazi occupiers, the ghetto Jews suffered and starved and lived in endless fear of instantaneous death.
But it is not just the latest Israeli action that brought this analogy crawling out into the daylight. Back in 2003, two British leftwing MPs, Oona King and Jenny Tonge made the same charge. The Guardian reported:
Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip was today compared to the Nazis' creation of the Warsaw ghetto by MPs who recently returned from the region.
The controversial comparison, drawn by Oona King and Jenny Tonge, will anger the pro-Israel lobby and the visiting Israeli finance minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, who met Tony Blair at Downing Street this morning.
Labour MP Ms King, who is Jewish, said Gaza was "the same in nature" as the infamous Polish ghetto.
"No government should be behaving like that - least of all a Jewish government," the Bethnal Green and Bow MP said.
Do you like the bit about the "infamous Polish ghetto"?
This comparison with the Warsaw ghetto is mindless and moronic. Israel is not embarking on the Final Solution of the Palestinians.
Quite what they think they are doing in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is a good question, however, and I am not even sure the Israeli government knows what exactly. Trying to stop the thousands of rockets that have been raining down on Israeli border towns? Well, even the Israeli side is saying it will never stop all of them. And if Israel thinks that Gazans are suddenly going to start blaming Hamas for being at the wrong end of Israeli rockets, guns and an invasion then they are very stupid indeed. Hamas will just get more popular with Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
And on the other side, it is not even clear why Hamas has been lobbing rockets in Israel for two years. These rockets, which have a very low degree of accuracy, can fulfil no military objectives at all. None. So why does Hamas do it? Are they trying to illicit responses from the Israelis, like the one they are reaping now, in the hope of outside intervention from …well, who? The European Union?
Though the suffering of Gazans is great it is not on the same scale as what happened to those trapped in the Warsaw ghetto. Virtually nobody was left alive in the ghetto after the Nazis decided to trash it. And no Palestinians have been packed off the extermination camps.
Another difference is the amazing resistance the Jews put up against the Nazis, with hundreds of thousands of casualties in many of the ghettos across Poland.
I don't see any of the above happening in Gaza right now. When protestors - who know little of either Gaza or Warsaw - shout slogans involving "holocaust", or "genocide" or "Warsaw ghetto" they degrade all those terms and memories, and put off one person - me - who would like to join them in condemning Israel and its stupid, bloody attacks.


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Suzuki Ignis
Looking for a Suzuki Ignis for sale Traralgon? See the full features, specifications and pricing of Suzuki Ignis cars for sale at Gippsland Suzuki.The Suzuki Ignis is the Super-Mini SUV with loads of space. Get a quote or book a test drive at Gippsland Suzuki, Traralgon VIC.
Book a Test DriveIGNIS
- 1.2L Dualjet engine
- 4.7L/100km fuel economy manual*
- 4.9L/100km fuel economy automatic‡
- 5-speed manual or automatic CVT transmission
- 7-inch multimedia touchscreen with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™
- Bluetooth® & iPod® USB connectivity with steering wheel audio controls and voice control
- Reverse camera
- 4 x speakers
- Cruise control
- 60:40-split rear seats
- Seating for 5
- Six airbags
- 15" steel wheels
- Front fog lights
- Roof rails
Ignis GLX adds the following features over Ignis GL:
- Automatic CVT transmission
- Digital climate control
- Keyless entry and start system
- 50:50 fold rear seats
- Seating for 4
- Sliding and reclining rear seats
- 2 x tweeters
- 16" alloy wheels
- Chrome front grille surround
- Automatic LED headlights
- Daytime running lights
- Rear privacy glass
Ignis Shadow adds the following features over Ignis GLX:
- Black side decals
- Black roof edge spoiler
- Shadow badge
Style | Re-Designed
Available in Pure White Pearl
Available in Mineral Grey Metallic
Available in Khaki Pearl Metallic
Available in Fervent Red
Available in Ivory Pearl Metallic
Available in Super Black Pearl
The only ultra compact SUV
Want something that stands out, but fits anywhere? Introducing the only ultra compact SUV. With bold distinctive styling and urban functionality, there's nothing else like it on the planet. Drive it for yourself and see where it takes you.
Fun, yet functional
Flexible, functional, useful. There's more to the new Ignis than you think.
Bigger on the inside, somehow
Conventional knowledge says that a light, compact exterior means a smaller interior. But the Ignis is from a place where conventional knowledge doesn't apply. Which is why you can have a compact SUV with a spacious, insanely comfortable, tech-loaded interior. See? So much for "knowing stuff".
Reliable safety and performance
Practically must come at the cost of enjoyment, right? Wrong. That's real non-Ignis driver thinking.
See, Ignis drivers know that compromise is an illusion created by people who have never driven the Ignis. If you want fuel-efficiency and performance, safety and power, then just, like, have it. Duh.
Build your Suzuki and get a quote
It's your time to shine! Show off your unique taste by whipping together your dream ride with our Suzuki builder. You car designer you.


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PL490 49" 3.5mm Bezel Design Super Narrow Bezel Display
Delivery usually within 48 hours
Pique Customers' Interests on a Whole New Level
49" 3.5mm Bezel Design Super Narrow Bezel Display | PL490
Pique Customers' Interests on a Whole New Level
- The PL490 is the video wall solution optimized for the finest image quality and easiest content management. Featuring a 4K screen engineered with an ultra-narrow 3.5mm bezel gap, the PL490 makes use of daisy chaining technology to immerse your customers in a seamless viewing experience that's impactful and distraction-free. By marrying USB plug-and-play simplicity with content scheduling system, the PL490 also provides a hassle-free solution for distributing content across all displays. With the PL490, you can have an unrivaled video wall solution that will inform and impress your customers.


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The 2023 Checkpoint SLR 7 AXS 58 ERA WHITE/EMERALD IRIS is available at the following locations.
The item will be transferred to the location you choose during checkout.
If the item is not currently available to view at your desired location, please call your nearest store to arrange for it to be transferred.
Checkpoint SLR 7 is a carbon gravel bike that's built for crushing the world's greatest gravel races. The lightweight 700 Series OCLV Carbon frame has gravel-smoothing IsoSpeed and a nimble-yet-stable progressive geometry. Plus, a smart and smooth SRAM wireless electronic drivetrain with power meter for blazing-fast shifts and extra mounts for gear and accessories. This bike a true gravel-grinding powerhouse.
You have big dreams for the likes of The Mid-South, Belgian Waffle Rides and Unbound Gravel, and know you'll need the most dialled gravel bike for these epic adventures. You want our most advanced Checkpoint frame, one that's made specifically for gravel racing.
A 700 Series OCLV Carbon frame with IsoSpeed and carbon armour, a progressive geometry that's stable at speed and efficient when you're grinding up a climb, internal storage, hidden cables that won't interfere with bags and an integrated frame bag and mudguard mounts. Plus, a carbon fork, 2x12 SRAM Force eTap AXS wireless electronic drivetrain with a wide-range cassette and Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V OCLV Carbon wheels with wide 700x40c gravel tyres that provide extra traction and stability. Fits up to 45 c tyres.
Our best Checkpoint frame is designed and built for performance and comfort during gruelling gravel races. It's ultra light, fast and comes with premium parts like an advanced wireless electronic drivetrain and carbon wheels.
- The SRAM Force eTap AXS drivetrain is smart, smooth and completely wireless
- The IsoSpeed decoupler soaks up fatiguing bumps without bouncing you around
- All-new progressive geometry is quick and nimble yet keeps you stable and in control on fast, choppy descents
- A sleek internal storage compartment gives you a versatile spot to stow tools and gear
- Integrated frame bag mounts and mudguard mounts make it easy to carry gear and water
New progressive geometry
For quick, nimble handling that still keeps you stable and in control on rougher descents.
Tyre clearance
Lots of clearance means you can run meatier tyres (700x45 mm or 27.5x2.1") for tackling chunkier gravel and terrain.
Tons of mounts
Integrated frame bag and mudguard mounts make it easy to carry gear and water.
Sleek internal storage
A built-in storage compartment in the downtube lets you stow tools and gear.
IsoSpeed smooth
The damped, controlled rebound of the IsoSpeed decoupler soaks up fatiguing bumps without bouncing you around.
Don't forget your pedals
This bike doesn't come with pedals because you'll have a better time on your new bike if you choose your own. See the pedal guide to find the best pedals for your riding style.
Frame | Size 58, UNI, Carbon, 700 Series OCLV Carbon, IsoSpeed, downtube storage door, internal routing, Ride Tuned seat mast, chain keeper, T47 BB, mudguard mounts, integrated frame bag mounts, flat-mount disc, 142x12 mm thru axle |
Wheel Size | Front 28 |
Wheel Size | Rear 28 |
Fork | Checkpoint carbon, tapered carbon steerer, mudguard mounts, flat-mount disc, 12x100 mm thru axle |
Fork | Unknown |
Gears | DERAILLEUR, Sram, 1 Gears |
Tyres | BONTRAGER, |
Pedals | UNKNOWN, |
Wheels | BONTRAGER, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready, 25 mm rim width, 100 x 12 mm thru axle Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready, 25 mm rim width, 142x12 mm thru axle |
Shifters | SRAM, SRAM Force eTap AXS, 12-speed // SRAM Force eTap AXS, 12-speed, |
Kickstand | UNKNOWN, Unknown |
Front Brake | SH, SRAM Force AXS hydraulic disc SRAM CentreLine X, CentreLock, round edge, 160 mm Max brake rotor size, Disc brake with hydraulic actuation |
Rear Brake | SH, SRAM Force AXS hydraulic disc SRAM CentreLine X, CentreLock, round edge, 160 mm Max brake rotor size, Disc brake with hydraulic actuation |
Rear Derailleur | , |
Crankset | SRAM, SRAM Force AXS Power Meter, 40T, DUB, 175 mm length SRAM DUB, T47 threaded, internal bearing |
Chain | SRAM, SRAM Force, 12-speed |
Handlebar | BONTRAGER, Bontrager Pro IsoCore VR-SF, 44cm |
Stem | BONTRAGER, Bontrager Pro, 31.8 mm, Blendr-compatible, 7-degree, 90 mm length |
Seatpost | BONTRAGER |
Saddle | UNBRANDED, Verse Short Elite, hollow stainless steel rails, 145 mm width |
Front Light | UNKNOWN |
Rear Light | UNKNOWN |
Brand | Trek |
Model Year | 2023 |
Barcodes | 601842608036, 601842608043, 601842608050, 601842608067, 601842608074, 601842608081, 601842608098, 601842608104, 601842608111, 601842608128, 601842608135, 601842608142, 601842608159, 601842608166, 601842608173, 601842608180, 601842608197, 601842608203, 601842647226, 601842647233, 601842647240, 601842647257, 601842647264, 601842647271 |
SKUs / Part Numbers | 5262649, 5262650, 5262651, 5262652, 5262653, 5262654, 5262655, 5262656, 5262657, 5262658, 5262659, 5262660, 5262661, 5262662, 5262663, 5262664, 5262665, 5262666, 5265285, 5265286, 5265287, 5265288, 5265289, 5265290 |
Please note: Manufacturers can sometimes change the specification of the products from time to time.
Trust our 14 years of experience in the bicycle insurance industry. Our comprehensive, customisable, and competitively priced coverage includes easy online quotes, fast claims handling, and expert customer service.
We offer 10 days free cover with all new bikes purchased, provided by our insurance partner VeloLife. You will be covered for the first 10 days of ownership against theft and accidental damage, so you can purchase with confidence.
Give yourself the comfort of no obligation free insurance, make sure you have peace of mind from the moment you leave the store. If anything happens to the bike in the first 10 days of ownership, know you are covered!


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I'm a bit late with this post, but better late than never! Club Monaco Bloor Street Market has officially re-opened for the second summer in a row, adding a much-needed slice of greenery and good eats to the busy intersection of Bloor and Avenue. The market will stay open until the end of summer, and will house some of Toronto's finest vendors. You can pick up the loveliest blooms from the Sweet Woodruff stall, grab a healthy and yummy lunch from Delica Kitchen, and for dessert, I highly recommend pastries from the Bake Shoppe (those pop-tarts are TDF!); there's also frozen treats from The Pop Stand to get you through those hot summer days. If that's not enough, you will also find Evolution Food Co cold-pressed juices, and Sam James Coffee Bar at the market.
This year, the market is definitely bigger and better – with more seating, more food options, and same "oasis-in-the-city" vibes. I've already stopped by a handful of times, and plan on having a few coffee dates at this lovely spot. If you haven't been, I highly recommend a visit…and don't forget to grab a pop-tart or two!
More photos after the jump!
[Read more…]


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Album Review: Connie Smith, Long Line of Heartaches
Connie Smith
Long Line of Heartaches
Connie Smith is hailed by many as the best vocalist in country music history, and that distinction is clearly warranted. When it comes to tone, phrasing, and vocal power, the woman has no equal. In listening to Long Line of Heartaches, her first album of new material since 1998, it would be a great understatement to say that she is still in fine voice. Her voice may have picked up a few rough edges over the years, but she still posses more than enough vocal chops to blow today's hitmakers out of the water.