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Author Name, ProPublica. July 3, 2014, 9 a.m.
Many sites (including ProPublica) track user behavior using a variety of invisible third-party software. This means any time you visit a web page, you're likely sharing data about your online habits, from clicks to views or social shares, whether you realize it or not. But there are a few ways to combat online tracking although none can block some of the more sophisticated tracking techniques, such as 'fingerprinting' and 'onboarding.' Here are three tools that block the most common trackers.
Featuring an ever-growing database of over 1,900 tracking entities, Ghostery's browser add-on can detect online trackers as you browse specific pages.
On each website, Ghostery displays a list of entities tracking data from that site in the upper right corner of the screen. Although it shows you all the trackers it detects, Ghostery does not block them by default. You must visit the settings page to block individual trackers or block all trackers.
If you don't mind being tracked by the third parties on a particular website, you can "whitelist" the site using the extension's dashboard.
Ghostery users are encouraged to opt in to Ghostrank, a service that sends anonymous information to a Ghostery server about where and how users encounter trackers. Ghostery is a for-profit company that analyzes the Ghostrank information and sells it to companies that want to manage their tracking businesses.
Ghostery is maintained by a team of analysts who keep the list of trackers up to date, according to Andy Kahl, Ghostery's Senior Director of Transparency.
Ghostery's add-on is available for most widely-used browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Safari. It's also available for mobile devices on iOS and Firefox Android.
The Disconnect tracker add-on takes a user-friendly approach of blocking trackers by default, but allowing requests that it considers to be necessary for loading content.
Full disclosure: Disconnect gave ProPublica $7,759.54 last year in donations from its users and expects to contribute another $1,500 after featuring us as a Charity of the Month for May 2014.
Disconnect detects trackers based on the number of requests they've made for your information, and displays them in one of four categories: advertising, analytics, social and content. Users can re-enable a tracker or whitelist a website from the dashboard in the upper right hand corner of the Web browser.
The extension also features a nifty visualization of all of the requests surrounding the page you're on, with a graph of each third-party request connected to the current page, and a rundown of web resources saved by disabling trackers, like bandwidth and browsing speed.
Disconnect maintains its database of trackers by crawling popular websites for third-party requests, then categorizing those requests by type, according to co-founder Casey Oppenheim. The Disconnect database is open source, unlike Ghostery's library of trackers.
Disconnect also provides a separate browser extension that allows you to search anonymously on engines including Google, Bing, Blecko and DuckDuckGo. Disconnect routes your search queries through their own servers, so Google, for example, would effectively see and store your search as a request from Disconnect instead of you.
Disconnect also lets users view ratings for each website's privacy policies in nine color-coded icons designed to correspond to a variety of privacy concerns, from the expected collection and use of data according to the site's privacy policy, to SSL encryption and HeartBleed vulnerability. So far, Disconnect has evaluated and assigned icons to over 5,000 websites.
The site's own privacy policy promises never to collect IP addresses or any personal info except for the email addresses of users who sign up for their (opt-in) newsletter.
Disconnect tracking and security extensions are currently available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. The service also provides tracker-blocking options for iOS devices with its Disconnect Kids app. Disconnect's tracker-blocking code and database are available on Github.
Privacy Badger
This tracker-blocking tool is a new project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and uses an algorithm to "learn" which social or ad networks are tracking you over time.
That means the tool takes awhile to get going. It initially allows third-party trackers until it detects patterns in third-party requests. Then it will start automatically blocking what it considers "non-consensual invasions of people's privacy," according to its FAQ.
EFF decided to use an algorithm over a compiled filter list of trackers to make the extension harder to circumvent.
"Blocking algorithmically2026is more responsive and is able to better protect users from all trackers, not just the ones we have identified as a problem," Cooper Quintin, a technologist working with EFF, wrote in an email.
Users can manually adjust blocking by using sliders that control access to their data in three levels: Completely blocking all requests from third-parties, blocking cookies from third-parties, and unblocking third party requests.
By default, the Privacy Badger will whitelist domains that it believes are necessary for web functionality. Those domains will automatically be blocked from leaving cookies, but will not be blocked completely unless the setting is manually adjusted, according to its FAQ.
Like Ghostery and Disconnect, users can also manually "whitelist" any site by disabling Privacy Badger on it.
In an interesting twist, Privacy Badger will allow trackers to unblock themselves if they post a privacy policy that honors users' "Do Not Track" requests. Currently, only a few tracking companies have agreed to not track users who check the "Do Not Track" button in their Web browsers.
Privacy Badger is available for Google Chrome and Firefox. A list for its "whitelisted" sites are available on Github along with the code for the extensions.
A note on methods for flagging trackers
If you install all three or any number of these add-ons concurrently, you will notice that they often detect a different number of trackers on any given page. That's because each service classifies tracking slightly differently.
Ghostery displays individual trackers per page based on its own database. Meanwhile, Disconnect displays the total number of requests made by detected trackers. And Privacy Badger flags third-party domains, not the number of requests made by those domains.
What do you use to keep yourself from being tracked online? Let us know in the comments section.
Looking for ways to make your web experience more secure from the Privacy Tools series? Read more on encrypting your files and messages, masking your location, safely browsing the web, taking data out of the hands of data brokers, and building better passwords.
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled an Electronic Frontier Foundation technologist's last name. His name is Cooper Quintin, not Quentin.


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Privacy Policy
Our Commitment
Boat For a Day is committed to respecting the privacy of users and to the protection and security of all personal data. To achieve this we ensure that all personal data is handled both correctly and legally in accordance with good practices and following the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation).
This website has been designed to collect a minimal amount of personal data from users and the data collected will not exceed its original purpose.
Boat For a Day advises all users to read this privacy policy which details how your data is collected and processed by us.
Personal data processing responsibility
Boat For a Day is responsible for defining and implementing this privacy policy to ensure, among other aspects, the compliance of the data processing within the scope of legislation and regulations in force and in accordance to the terms within this policy.
How we collect your personal data
Boat For a Day considers personal data to be information of any nature which relates to an identified or identifiable person. A person can be identified either directly or indirectly by reference to an identification number or to one or more specific elements relating to their physical, physiological, psychological, economic, cultural or social identity.
In the following situations your data will be collected and processed:
If you fill in your personal information and submit the consent form on our website we will collect the following data:
Telephone number
Email address
If you use and interact with our website the data we will collect will be:
Information about your IP address, access times, account activity and pages accessed, the type of browser that you use and language, the operating system you use, device and network data.
Data on your precise location through Global Positioning System (GPS) or location information obtained via your IP address.
If you communicate with us by email
Conversations or messages may be recorded and monitored
Monitoring and recording
When visiting our offices your image may be recorded by our security camera
Purpose of collecting personal data
The treatment of all information collected has the purpose of being used in the active promotion of our services and products, of interaction with clients and the fulfillment of fiscal issues
Provision of services –We use data within communications to present budget and creative proposals, information about subscriptions, renewals or cancellations, sending invoices by email or postal address. Data is also used to manage contacts and billing.
– Sales and Marketing – Distribution of our products, analysis of consumption profiles, new product developments, newsletters.
– Accounting, tax and financial management –Accounting, billing, tax information.
Period of personal data retention
We will keep your personal data on file for the period necessary for the provision of services, respective billing and in compliance with legal obligations.
When there is no specific legal obligation, personal data will be processed by Boat For a Day only for the period necessary to achieve the defined purpose.
Security measures
Boat For a Day is committed to undertaking the necessary security measures to ensure the safeguarding of the personal data of users against possible misuse or against any unauthorised access.
To achieve this, Boat For a Day has put in place adequate and necessary security measures to protect your personal data from destruction, loss, alteration, dissemination, unauthorised access or any other form of accidental or unlawful processing.
This is achieved by:
– Implementing a strict policy regarding access to systems and information.
– The transfer and storage of personal data only in encrypted form.
– Protecting information technology systems through firewalls to prevent unauthorised access to personal data.
– The signing of confidentiality agreements with all employees within the scope of the employment relationship with Boat For a Day, being aware of the importance of legal compliance regarding confidentiality and confidentiality rules.
Please be aware that while Boat For a Day makes every effort to protect the information of customers and users, no website, internet connection, computer system or wireless connection is completely safe.
Rights of data owners
Under the terms of legislation in force, the owner of the data (user) is guaranteed the right to access, update, rectify or delete any personal data at any time, as well as the right to oppose the use of personal data provided for marketing purposes.
To exercise your rights as a data owner, please contact us directly:
By email: firstname.lastname@example.com
By Post: Our head office is located at Marina de Faro
Any request to exercise your rights as a data owner will be analysed and we will respond to this request in a timely manner.
Boat For a Day uses cookies to analyse customer behavior, to administer the site and to collect information about users in order to customise and enhance your experience with us
A cookie is a small text file stored on your computer or mobile device. Cookies store information that is then used to help websites function. We can only access the cookies that are created by our site alone. You are able to control your cookies through your browser. By disabling cookies, you can prevent the use of certain functions.
We use cookies for the following purposes:
Necessary cookies – these are required for you to be able to use important functions on our site, such as login. These cookies do not collect any personal information.
Functional cookies – these provide functionality to make the use of our service more convenient for you. For example, they can remember your name and email in a form.
Analytical cookies – are used to monitor the use and performance of our site and services.
Advertising cookies – are used to monitor the use and performance of our site and services.
Session cookie – These are temporary and remain in the cookies of your browser until you leave our site. The information gathered by these cookies allows you to identify problems to provide a better browsing experience
For statistical purposes our newsletters may contain a single "pixel" that allows us to know if the newsletter has been opened and checks the click through links or adverts within the newsletter. The user always has the option to unsubscribe from receiving newsletters by selecting the "unsubscribe" option.
We use Google Analytics to measure traffic to our site. Google has its own Privacy Policy. If you do not want your site visits to be detected by Google Analytics, please visit
PLUGINS and Social Networks
When you use a service that contains Plug-ins, the information may be transferred directly from your device to a social network operator. Boat For a Day has no control over the data collected by a Plug-in. If you are logged in to a social network account, your use of Boat For a Day services can be referenced through the social network account. If a client interacts with the Plug-Ins, eg. by clicking on a "Like", "Follow" or "Share" button or by commenting on a post, this information may automatically be displayed in their personal social network profile. Even when a client is not logged in to a social network account, Plug-Ins may pass their IP address to the operators of the social network. Please take into account this information when using the services of Boat For a Day. For further information about social network and Plug-In operators please consult below.
If you are a member of one or more of the following social networks and you do not want the Operator to associate data relating to your use of the Member Services already stored by the Operator, log off from the network before using the Services of Boat For a Day.
Responsible for data collection and treatment: Facebook Ireland Limited, Hanover Reach, 5-7 Hanover Quay, 2 Dublin, Ireland ("Facebook"). For further information, please visit the Facebook privacy policy, available here:"https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/".
Responsible for data collection and treatment: Google Inc., Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ("Google"). For further information, please visit the Google privacy policy, available here "https://www.google.com/privacy".
Responsible for data collection and treatment: LinkedIn Ireland, Gardner House, Wilton Place, Wilton Plaza, Dublin 2, Ireland ("LinkedIn"). For further information, please visit the LinkedIn privacy policy, available here"http://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy?trk=hb_ft_priv".
Responsible for data collection and treatment: Twitter, Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA ("Twitter"). For further information, please visit the Twitter privacy policy, available here "https://twitter.com/privacy"https://twitter.com/privacy".
Changes to the Privacy Policy
Boat For a Day reserves the right to at any time update or revise this Privacy Policy in order to adjust to any legislative changes and/or any other constraints. Any changes to this policy will be published here. Please check our Privacy Policy regularly to keep up to date with any changes that may have been made.

subset: commoncrawl


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We had great weather after a week of incessant rain and gloomy skies, a departure from our 300+ days of sunny blue skies. Seattle bore the brunt of our collective wrath. We love you, Seattle, really! We were just kidding!
Buy a packet of Haldiram's Chana Jor Garam from your nearest Indian grocer. Remember to check the best by date.
Then follow these guidelines to mix a savory Sunday Snack for yourself.
- 1 cup Chana Jor Garam
- 1/4 cup spicy sev (optional)
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 tomato, deseeded and chopped
- 2 Thai green chiles, chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- Mix chaat masala, red chilli powder, cumin powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, add chopped onion, tomato, green chiles, and cilantro.
- Sprinkle mixed spices and toss.
- Add spicy sev, if using, and dry Chana Jor Garam.
- Douse with lemon juice and toss. Adjust to your taste. It should be crunchy, spicy and tangy.


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Paramount Pictures to Launch Paramount Animation
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA and VIA.B), will launch an in-house animation division, with its first title slated for release in 2014.
In making the announcement, Paramount Chairman & CEO Brad Grey said the initiative was part of the studio's long-term strategy for growth and that the new division, Paramount Animation, will focus on high quality animation with budgets per picture of up to $100 million.
Paramount Animation's mandate will be the development of the broadest range of family CGI animated films, with a key piece being titles under the label of Viacom's Nickelodeon, the number one entertainment brand for kids worldwide. Paramount will also look to build on Viacom's already thriving global consumer products business by seeking to capitalize on merchandising opportunities tied to all Paramount Animation releases.
The division will be part of the Paramount Motion Picture Group, reporting to the group's president, Adam Goodman, and will initially target one release per year. Vice Chair Rob Moore, COO Frederick Huntsberry and Goodman are now conducting a search for the leader of the division.
"We've come a long way over the last six years," said Grey. "Our team has worked hard to build best in class production, marketing and distribution divisions which have proven they consistently execute at the highest level across all genres and price points. Establishing an in-house animation division was the logical next step for us."
"The marketplace has never offered as many opportunities to create wonderfully imaginative pictures at very appealing budget levels, so we feel this is a perfect moment to launch this effort. We are now eager to expand in animation with appropriate and prudent overhead and production budgets in a way that will allow us to be nimble, creative and innovative," added Grey. "Paramount also has the distinct advantage of being part of the Viacom family, giving us the ability to leverage its portfolio of powerful and youthful brands to create and market great films and consumer products."
While Paramount has released an array of successful animated films in its history, the company's first fully owned CGI animated property was Rango, released to great acclaim in March 2011. The Western, directed by Gore Verbinski and featuring the voice of Johnny Depp in the title role, has grossed over $240 million worldwide and is the best reviewed animated movie so far this year.
Last week's release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon marks the 5th consecutive film to surpass $100 million in domestic box office revenue for Paramount, a milestone which has never been accomplished before in the industry. Overall, the last 12 months have brought the studio a series of box office and critical successes, including Super 8, Marvel's Thor, Paranormal Activity 2, Justin Beiber: Never Say Never, DWA's Kung Fu Panda 2, Jackass 3D, True Grit and The Fighter. Upcoming Paramount movies include Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, The Adventures of Tintin and the remake of Footloose.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.


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Chris, great post. I was disappointed when an organization we gave to sold our name/address to a mailing list business. Suddenly, we were swamped in requests. Because of that experience, I would ask the organization if they sell that information.
Although the declining economy has left many pinching pennies, thousands of Americans will still make charitable donations between now and year's end.
The holiday season often provides grateful organizations with half of their annual donations. Most consumers give time or money to organizations that mesh with their personal passions or life experience. But it's also important for consumers to make sure their hard-earned dollars are getting to those who need the help. Despicable as it is, charity scams run high this time of year as unscrupulous actors aim to take advantage of goodwill and holiday cheer.
Here are a couple avenues potential givers should explore when considering a charitable donation:
Think about what's important to you and where you want your donation to do good. There are charities big and small doing important work in all corners of the country, from community-based groups to national organizations. Maybe it's whales. Or puppies. Or the working poor. No matter your outlet, make time to evaluate your desires and the corresponding missions and values of potential organizations.
You can launch a website in 10 minutes, so just because a charity has one doesn't mean it's legitimate. There are watchdog groups that monitor the fiscal health and overall financial impact of nonprofit groups. Two of the biggest hubs are GuideStar and Charity Navigator. Use these sites to start your search or run prospective organizations through their search engines. Viable, legitimate charities should be willing to frankly discuss their missions, their programs, and their finances. You can also search for charities through the Internal Revenue Service.
Most organizations will dedicate about two-thirds of their funds directly to their unique cause, although that number can vary a bit depending on the group's focus. Anything that looks out of line with that general guidepost should perhaps raise some red flags. You have every right to inquire about how donations are funneled and how much of your contribution will go to pay salaries.
It's also important to note that a nonprofit group isn't necessarily a charity, which means your monetary donation might not be tax deductible. Be sure to ask.
Be careful when it comes to using your credit card for donations. Make sure you're using an organization's protected website or just mail a check. Whatever the route, don't just fork over cash. Be extremely wary of folks who go door-to-door.
Charities are usually eager to share their stories with potential benefactors and volunteers. Well-run organizations will actively demonstrate their achievements and goals through a variety of outlets including:
Not every organization will have this suite of information. A neighborhood soup kitchen probably doesn't have the resources to crank out round-the-clock Twitter updates.
Writing a check isn't the only way to contribute.
Many organizations also appreciate the volunteering of time, as well as things like food, clothing, meeting space, and other in-kind donations. You might also be able to volunteer your expertise — writers and designers can help pull together a newsletter, for example. Ask the organization what they need most to support their outreach programs and day-to-day operations.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


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Tim Allen's 'Last Man Standing' May Be Revived at FOX
The specter of Tim Allen's Last Man Standing rose with the success of ABC's Roseanne, but the canceled conservative comedy has taken an unexpected turn. Reports indicate FOX may pick up the tab for a seventh season, with Tim Allen and cast back on board.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, FOX has entered early talks to revive the series, after ABC opted not to renew for a seventh season, and the CMT network failed to navigate a pricey last-minute save. It's hardly a done deal just yet, but 20th Century Fox TV's ownership of the series makes FOX renewal a somewhat less expensive prospect than ABC licensing the series. Allen himself has already signed on, and is reportedly the driving force to reassemble cast and crew for the prospect.
It was in May 2017 that the six-season Last Man Standing got the axe from ABC, owing to lack of ownership, Allen's salary and a shift away from Friday comedy. The outspoken and conservative Allen took the cancellation personally, claiming to be "stunned and blindsided" by the decision, while rumors swirled his political beliefs and controversial comments played a factor. ABC denied as much, and has since found success with the Roseanne revival's appeal to middle America. The notion of resurrecting Last Man Standing to pair with Roseanne was discussed, but network boss Channing Dungey said nothing was actively planned.
A Last Man Standing revival will likely either come together or fall apart by FOX's upfront presentation in mid-May, so stay tuned.
Gallery: The 20 Best TV Show Revivals, Ranked


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Folks, here is another column on gender insanity by Linda Harvey, who is the keynote speaker at the AFTAH dinner-banquet in less than two weeks, on Friday, October 28, 2016 at Grace Gospel Fellowship Church, in Bensenville, Illinois (in northwest suburban Chicago). Full details HERE. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH
The Worst State to Raise Children
By Linda Harvey, first published by WND.com Oct. 9, 2016
Warning: This column contains graphic content.
It's official: Oregon is in free-fall.
And if possible, you really don't want to raise children there until some big changes are made.
Among a badly behaving peer group – the rest of the states in the U.S. – Oregon still sinks below them all, even radical Massachusetts and loony California.
It's not just the legalized marijuana and assisted suicide. It's not just the bisexual governor and the after-school Satan clubs that some Portlandia-dazed educators have welcomed.
Oregon's liberals – who dominate the government and schools – consider children guinea pigs for grotesque experiments in sexual and spiritual corruption. Praise God for the few Christians and conservatives who have managed to limit these programs to some extent.
But much more remains to be done to protect Oregon's children from permanent harm.
Consider these facts:
- In Oregon, a 15-year-old can now embark on hormone and sex-change surgical treatment without a parent's consent, paid for by Medicaid. This policy was quietly enacted in 2015 by an appointed commission of the Oregon Health Authority. Judicial Watch accessed documents and found that 56 children were treated for gender "assessment" in the first six months of the program, some under age 9.
- Dr. Paul McHugh, former psychiatrist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins University, has called the Oregon policy for gender-confused youth "child abuse" and that such operations for youth are "never appropriate."
- The option for young teens to have healthy breasts and penises amputated is being advocated through the many school-based health clinics that bypass parental rights to advise children about intimate issues and often refer them to Planned Parenthood. Among the services the clinics promote for minor children are "reproductive health" and counseling for "LGBTQ" issues.
So middle-school girls are given birth control and referrals to Planned Parenthood, and students questioning their sexuality will most likely be told, inaccurately, that some people are "born that way" and that such sexual expression is just as natural as heterosexuality.
Read the rest of this article »


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Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery Corporation (NMVCC)
Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery Corporation Annual Ceremonies
Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery Corporation Board and Members
A Brief History
The idea for a Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery was conceived and presented to Governor Angus King in the fall of 1998. Impressed with the idea, Governor King impaneled a committee of Maine Veterans and Veterans Service Organizations to study the feasibility of constructing a cemetery in Northern Maine. The committee consisting of Donald F. Collins, Walter Corey, James R. Day Jr., Wilfred Deane, Richard Edgecomb, Zane A. Grant, Camille Lausier, Peter F. Miesburger, Jack Myers and Frederick Ormezzani conducted a study to ascertain interest in and demand for a veteran's cemetery in Aroostook County. The study results indicated an overwhelming support by the veteran community in local burials. Many veterans and family members commented that the geographical location of the cemetery in Augusta made the bereavement and memorial process difficult.
A report detailing the study results was formally filed with Governor King and the legislators in December of 1998. In February 1999, an act was signed authorizing the Maine Veterans Services to develop both an architectural design and engineering plan for the cemetery.
In the spring of 1999, a non-profit cemetery corporation was formed to assist the state with the construction process. The corporation formally known as the Northern Maine Veterans Commemorative Cemetery Corporation (NMVCCC) is comprised of members from the American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, Maine Department of Defense and Veterans Services, and the Maine Funeral Directors Association. The work of the committee was facilitated when John and Joyce Noble agreed to donate land to the State for the construction of a Veteran's Cemetery.
Insufficient state funding threatened to postpone development. A preliminary plan was then prepared and presented to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs State Cemetery Grants Program. The VA agreed to provide 2.8 million dollars to help fund the Phase 1 construction. In the fall of 2001, the State submitted the final construction plans to Washington for review. In April 2002, the VA approved the construction plans and gave the state the go-ahead. Soderberg Construction of Caribou was awarded the contract. The construction began in January 2002. Dedicated on June 1, 2003 the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Caribou became a reality when 33.4 acres of land were graciously donated by John and Joyce Noble of Caribou. Because of their generosity and the tireless efforts of a dedicated group of veterans, Northern Maine is proud to provide an appropriate final resting place for those who have unselfishly given to their country.
** The Maine Veterans Cemetery in Caribou has the capacity for over 10,000 full body burials and over 1500 cremations **


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Many thanks to Tristan Morris for creating a beautiful illustrated hardcover print edition of the site |
(抱歉,本页尚未译为中文。) After breakfast, a novice of the Spider Clan noticed a line of six monks leaving the temple with bucket-yokes on their shoulders and grim expressions on their faces. A junior abbot followed close behind. The monks trudged down an overgrown stony path that wound down the hillside, disappearing into a thicket of pines. This same novice observed the monks clambering back up to the temple after lunch. Their buckets were now packed full of moist earth and stones, yet despite the heavy load every brother was laughing and had a spring in his step. So it went the following day, and the day after, and the day after that, piquing the curiosity of the novice. All six monks bore the red waist-cloths of the Laughing Monkey Clan, so the novice went to that clan's hall. The abbot was seated on the floor of the common room, preoccupied with balancing an egg on its point. "What of the six monks, and the buckets of earth?" asked the novice. "They are being corrected," said the abbot, "for their perilous mismanagement of a critical software module." He reached into a small bag of salt, put a pinch on the floor, set the egg on top, and gently blew the salt away from the egg. The egg toppled. The abbot sighed, took another pinch of salt and began again. "What flaw did they introduce?" asked the novice. "Mu," said the abbot. "They introduced no flaw. Not a line of code has been touched in many months." "Then what flaw did they fail to correct?" "Mu," repeated the abbot as the egg toppled again. "The module functions perfectly, and doubtless will continue to do so for many months more." The novice frowned. "I do not see how something which is flawless and unchanging can be objectionable, or its management called perilous." "You, monk!" shouted a voice behind him. The novice turned to find Java master Banzen glaring at him. "Tomorrow, you join the line," said Banzen. "The punishment is simple," said the junior abbot as the novice took up the yoke. "I'll explain when we get to the hollow." The novice followed the six brothers down the stony path, with the junior abbot bringing up the rear behind him. They proceeded through the deep forest in silence. Eventually they came to a broad bright sunlit clearing. In the center a giant spire of rock thrust upward toward the heavens: it rose a full four storeys high, and was so wide that if twenty men stood fingertip to fingertip they could barely encircle it. "Is it not grand?" said the abbot. "It has stood since the beginning of time." Approaching, the novice could see that the clearing had been dug away all around the spire, so that it was surrounded on all sides by a great empty moat. Peeking above the moat's edge was the top rung of a bamboo ladder. Each monk disappeared down the ladder in turn, re-emerging a long time later drenched in sweat, with a full yoke and a broad smile. Finally it was the novice's turn. The moat was several storeys deep. As the novice climbed rung by rung down into the shadows he could see that the earth had been removed not just from around the spire, but from under its base as well. The entire massive boulder was now balanced precariously on a few yards of packed earth. "Crawl under the spire," the abbot shouted down, "until you reach the mound of dirt below the center. Fill your buckets from there. And if I were you, I'd work slowly and try not to sneeze." An excerpt from The Codeless Code, by Qi (firstname.lastname@example.com). Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. |


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The Libya Update (hereinafter referred to as "The Libya Update" / "We" / "Us" / "Our") would like to inform you, through this Corrections Policy, about the corrective measures we adopt in case we find that some incorrect information has been published on Our Website. We are conscious of our accountability to our readers and fully understand that it is our responsibility to make the correction and inform you about the same subsequently at the earliest.
The Libya Update strives to present its audience with accurate and complete news reports based on all the available information at the time we are reporting the news. We endeavor to be promptly responsive in correcting errors in the material published on our website as soon as it comes to our notice. We being a digital platform run a correction and a clarification on our social media handles or share an editor's note presenting the corrections made and what the error was in details apart from updating it in our content. In case of a major mistake which can amount to spreading misinformation, we apologize to our readers in a duly and timely manner.
Updating a Report
We make it a practice to put notes on stories if a story has been updated. It is important for us to use a correction, clarification, or editor's note to inform readers whenever we correct a significant mistake or edit a story to include comments, updates from a stakeholder. If any error occurs on our fact-check (which is done in accordance with our Fact-Check Policy and once it comes to our notice, we update the article accordingly and at the top of the article, we mention in bold "[Correction: updated Info…]" and explain the correction made. We also request our community members to send the correction at firstname.lastname@example.com.
If we are substantively correcting an article, photo caption, headline, graphic, video, or other material, we promptly publish a correction explaining the need for the said change.
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Multilateral diplomacy for sustainable growth in the era of disruption
Article by Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
The year 2020 was truly a disruptive time in world history. The fast-spreading Covid-19 pandemic managed to halt even the wave of globalisation and compelled governments to go into lockdown. Businesses were forced to close, in some cases leading to furloughs or unemployment, and further widening the existing social inequalities. Everyone came to the realisation that business would never again be the same, and began to accept the concept of a "new normal."
The pandemic is a harsh reminder that our life is full of uncertainties and unknown parameters. In worst-case scenarios, we don't even know what we don't know, leaving us completely off guard once it happens. The damage from these 'unknown unknowns' or 'black swans', as called by some theorists, is increasingly troublesome since the world is getting smaller and more intertwined. In these conditions, for a medium-sized nation such as Thailand, we have always recognised that multilateralism, aiming for sustainable growth, will be the prevailing solution in response to black swans. The idea is that the challenges that hit us the hardest are usually the ones that undermine human security. Therefore, countries need to work in concert; otherwise, the problem will just linger, by perpetually shifting elsewhere. This has led to our advocacy of sustainable development in all the multilateral institutions we have either founded or joined, from the League of Nations to the United Nations, and regionally, from ASEAN to ACMECS and ACD, to name a few.
The rationale is evident and the benefits are foreseeable. Non-major powers have to combine capabilities to enhance political leverage or achieve shared goals that going solo will not succeed, such as climate change, sustainable development and, of course, pandemic management. COVID-19 has proven that traditional "great powers" have no power over such disruptions and need collaboration and networking to defeat this common foe. Recognising that "no one is safe until everyone is safe" underlines the significance of multilateral cooperation more than ever.
When the Cold War ended in the 1990s, economic cooperation became a prominent agenda, leading to the formation of regional groupings that Thailand joined or played an important part in founding. These include APEC, BIMSTEC, ACMECS and ACD. Together with ASEAN, these frameworks underpinned the notion of 'prosper thy neighbour' in Thai foreign policy and have brought about many tangible arrangements that have strengthened our resolve and solidarity whenever the region encountered 'black swans' in the past. The Asian financial crisis in 1997 and SARS in 2003 all presented us with valuable lessons.
The occurrence of COVID-19 and the way nations should coordinate their responses will presumably follow similar patterns in terms of regional cooperation. For instance, Thailand offered full support to Vietnam, the ASEAN Chair, in organising the Special ASEAN Summit and the Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19 in April 2020. We also proposed the establishment of the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. This is reminiscent of Thailand's hosting of the Special ASEAN and ASEAN-China Leaders Meeting and the APEC Health Ministerial Meeting when SARS hit the region in 2003. It rightly demonstrated the necessity and advantages of synergizing strengths to counter a common threat and prepare for any future disruptive challenges.
Throughout the years, Thailand has consistently pursued a common theme across all regional frameworks - the need to encourage sustainable growth that is balanced and remains grounded on basic human needs and rights. A common resolve on the part of the international community to not over-exploit resources will allow future generations to enjoy clean, decent and green social environments in any region across the world.
The post-COVID world requires a rethink – a paradigm shift – of how we pursue economic growth. Our current path has put human activities in direct conflict with nature, creating imbalances in the forms of climate change, the pandemic, and even social unrest. The Thai government recently made the Bio-Circular-Green Economy, or the BCG Model, our national agenda. It will be our main strategy for economic recovery and development after the pandemic and beyond. Through innovative and sustainable growth strategies that adequately meet human's needs, helping lift millions out of poverty while respecting the planet, we hope to achieve a balance, or a middle path, that harmonizes production and consumption with preservation of the natural world. As other countries also share similar ideas, Thailand looks forward to working with like-minded partners to transform such concepts into concrete deliverables that will benefit people around the world at large.
As the current global economy is still struggling while Thailand's main engines of growth show signs of slowing down, multilateral collaboration should be part of Thailand's exit strategy. For example, to place Thailand in a better position in the global value chain, continued regional commitment to developing transportation networks and the harmonisation of regulations is essential. Meanwhile, the pandemic has spurred tremendous growth in digitisation in various areas, including business, telemedicine and remote education. We should take this opportunity to expedite cooperation to connect and upgrade our digital infrastructure and e-commerce.
Such trends align with the Thailand 4.0 strategy to transform the country's economy into one that is technology and innovation-driven, with more valued-added industries. The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) lies at the core of this strategy and promotes investment in twelve targeted industries, such as next-generation automotive, smart electronics, and food for the future. All of these industries bode well for job creation and economic dynamism in Thailand and the region, as the EEC has become a notable magnet drawing foreign investors due to its logistical facilities and strategic location.
Thailand's regional policy also advocates free and multilateral trade. It must be mentioned that the final signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) last year could not have been achieved without the expedition of negotiations over RCEP's 20 chapters during Thailand's Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2019, which was a huge feat. The agreement will widen trade and investment opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs to access a market of 2.2 billion people or nearly a third of the world population.
With such prospects, Thailand's assumption of the chairmanships of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) from 2021 to 2022 and of APEC in 2022 is most timely. It places Thailand in a unique position to strengthen linkages and play a constructive role in designing a post-Covid economic recovery plan for regional growth that is sustainable and healthy.
Under BIMSTEC, Thailand will push for the improvement of land and sea links to strengthen transport infrastructure and facilitate trade. One of the flagship projects is the 1,360-kilometre trilateral highway from Tak Province, on Thailand's western border, through Myanmar to the Indian border town of Moreh in Manipur State. With regard to maritime connectivity, Thailand plans to link Ranong Province on the Andaman coast to the port town of Krishnapatnam in India's Andhra Pradesh, as an additional channel to promote inter-regional trade.
As far as APEC is concerned, Thailand intends to move the grouping forward and concretise the APEC Post-2020 Vision to promote trade and investment. We seek to promote digitalisation to boost economic growth, and improve business inclusivity for all groups of the population, particularly women, people with disabilities, and rural communities.
In this era of perpetual change, Thailand realises that both our inner strengths and international partnerships are vital if we are to be fully prepared for the "Next Normal" and be capable of harnessing external uncertainties. As the year 2021 is a transition phase towards post COVID-19 recovery, Thailand looks forward to working closely with our international partners in making a global rebound and shaping a sustainable future for our next generation.


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Application Process
International students often underestimate the amount of time required to apply for admission to a college or university in the United States. You can avoid this mistake by setting a schedule for yourself that begins well in advance of the time that you plan to begin your studies.
When setting your timetable, always remember that starting the process early is the best way forward. You will need to allow yourself sufficient time to thoroughly research the institution and/or program that will best serve your academic and professional goals. Then you must meet the application deadlines of the universities to which you apply, which may be up to ten months before the beginning of the school term.
Especially for schools with competitive admissions, the application process takes a significant amount of time and effort. You will need to write personal statements and request recommendations from teachers or others who know you well. Even if you are applying on line via the Common Application, you will want to get started early. University websites and other academic Internet sites may provide quick and convenient access to the required application forms, but you still need time to research your options, contact teachers and institutions to provide recommendations and transcripts, and sign up for required entrance exams in time to meet application deadlines.
Application Timeline
This application timeline will provide you with detailed information about the steps you should take and when you should take them in order to plan your approach to studying in the USA. The plan starts 18 months before you wish to study, so you need to get planning soon! Of course, if you don't have that much time you can still jump in and catch up – but there earlier the better! Learn More
Standardized Tests
Most U.S. colleges and universities require that you take one or more standardized admissions tests in order to gain entrance into their programs. SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, TOEFL, IELTS – it's like alphabet soup! We can provide you with further information about the various tests, what you need to do in order to prepare for, sign up for and do well on the appropriate standardized tests. Learn More
For students preparing to apply to colleges, we offer test preparation advice to help you prepare for any standardized tests you need to take.
Credential Evaluators
School curriculum varies by country, not only in language but also in practice. Many schools accepting students from other countries require the official status of your school and need to verify the authenticity of documents. This is where credential evaluators come in. Your school may require you to submit transcripts to a credential evaluator who will examine your credentials and translate the documents into your host country curriculum for review. Learn More
As an international student, one thing you need to consider that US students don't is the matter of student visas. You may want to visit our Student Visa page to familiarize yourself with the type of visa for which you will need to apply.


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Budgeting: Most people want to save money, but no one wants to change his or her lifestyle to do so. Many people think that the only way to save is to go without; Give up eating out at restaurants, stop going to the movies, stop shopping, etc. This is not the case! It is very simple to still enjoy going out, as well as save money. You just have to find ways to spend less while going out.
Here are some examples:
When going to a restaurant: Always use coupons! I can't stress that enough. There are many ways to find them. The Sunday paper usually has coupons for a few restaurants. Many restaurants send out coupons in the mail hoping to get you to visit them. The Entertainment Book has coupons for many restaurants. The restaurant's own website might have a coupon that you can print out and bring in. Sometimes you will find coupons in their take-out menu. You will be able to save a few dollars/pounds just for taking a few seconds to look for a coupon.
Share a meal. If you're going out to dinner, many times you can get away with ordering one main course and an appetizer or salad and sharing them with your partner since the portions can be large. By splitting them, you will save a lot more then if you had each gotten your own meal, plus you will get more of a selection since you'll get to taste both an appetizer and an entrée.
When wanting to see a movie: If you want to go to the movies, consider going during the day, or in the early evening. These are all considered matinee showings, and you will usually pay about half of the price you would pay at night!
It doesn't sound like that big of a savings, but if you go to the movies just once a month, you can save $54 a year per person. You'll save even more if you go more often!
If you want to save even more money, you can rent the movie once it goes to DVD. Many websites will allow you to buy packs of 10 DVD rentals, and you will end up saving anywhere from $0.50-$1.50 per rental! This can really add up. If you rent one movie per week, you can save up to $78 a year! Also keep an eye out for coupons that allow you to rent one and get the second free. There are many other simple things you can do to save money when going out to enjoy different forms of entertainment.
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Voluntary labeling: this soy sauce is clearly labeled as being made from soybeans that include genetically engineered varieties. |
Improving the nutritional quality of crops is a Millennium Development Goal. These conventionally bred orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are higher in vitamin A than non-orange fleshed varieties. (Picture credit: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.) |
One way that cassava can be improved for human consumption is by reducing the amount of linamarin, a naturally occurring sugar that releases hydrogen cyanide when broken down by the digestive system. (Picture credit: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.) |
A large body of scientific evidence indicates that corn engineered to be resistant to insects is safe for human consumption. |
Even though it has been thoroughly discredited, anti-GMO protesters still use images from the infamous Séralini study. (Picture credit: Bill Baker.) |


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Spider veins and smaller varicose veins can be treated by injections of a sclerosing solution. This solution works by irritating the lining of the vein, causing the vein to seals shut and collapse. The vein then fades over time. The injections require no anesthesia as they are relatively painless, and are usually performed in the doctor's office. Cotton and compression tape is applied to the injection site, and support stockings may be prescribed by the doctor to promote healing. The injection site may be temporarily bruised or discolored for one to two weeks. Two or more sessions are usually required to achieve maximum results, scheduled at least one month apart.
Risks Related to Sclerotherapy Treatment
Risks related to sclerotherapy are very rare, but can include blood clots in the veins, inflammation, allergic reactions to the sclerosing solution and skin injury that could leave scars. In some cases, skin pigmentation irregularity can occur, which will fade over time. Another reaction that can occur is "telangiectatic matting," where small reddish blood vessels appear around the treated area. This condition is remedied through additional injections.


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Interference Colors offer a range of reflective properties and interplay with light. When viewed from different angles Interference colors flip between a bright opalescent color and its complement.
Interference acrylics are relatively transparent, allowing artists the ability to glaze with unique effects. Over white or light colored surfaces the Interference color is more subtle and the flip effect is more obvious, over black or dark surfaces the color is more obvious and the flip is less obvious. Landscapes can be enhanced with Interference Blue or Interference Green. Add life to wildlife artwork with Interference Red or Interference Violet.
Add a conventional Fluid or Heavy Body color to Interference colors for unique color ranges. A small amount of black added to Interference colors produces deeper, richer, opalescent effects.


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Based on the benchmark sounds of the MXR M117 Flanger, the MXR Micro Flanger features many of the same flanging effects of its big brother, but in a smaller and more convenient size. Originally released in the 80's, this faithful recreation features the same two critical controls—a Speed knob to control the rate of cycling and a Regeneration knob to manage the overall intensity—and stays true to its 100% analog bucket brigade technology for the ultimate in warm and organic tone. The Micro Flanger has been updated with a true bypass switch so you don't lose any tone during bypass. Go from jet plane like sweeps to cool outer space type effects with the MXR Micro Flanger.
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Service Diversions 04-20-12
Checkout the latest Service Diversions for the upcoming weekend, next week & beyond in some cases.
If I see or hear anything interesting or noteworthy, I will post it on Twitter so don't forget to follow @TransitBlogger which can easily be done by clicking the button in the sidebar.
The next service diversions entry update will be Monday at 5:01 AM (although the page will be updated at least once a day) when all of the weekend work is wrapped up.
As always, stay safe & have a wonderful weekend.
P.S. If you or anyone you know is into independent music, check out Surge FM!.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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The Enterprise Social Network Graph Battle
Author: René Stocker, CEO
I agree with Laurence Lock Lee that Microsoft, after its finalized acquisition of LinkedIn, should be well positioned for the Social Network Graph Battle.
Read Laurence Lock Lee's article: The Enterprise Social Network Graph Battle: Who Is Poised to Win?
Their historically grown different starting positions documented in their respective pulse articles:
- Microsoft (Enterprise Office strategy): announcement
- LinkedIn (Social Network strategy): announcement
Well positioned, but really poised to win that battle? How to tear down walls?
I would recommend a cooperation with an advanced Social Graph niche player with the following focus:
Not only weaker and stronger ties for private and professional connections within public Social Networks like LinkedIn but considerable added value by various enterprise organization models will then enforce the n to n connectivity and collaboration within and outside the Enterprise for
The proof: overall integration with Social Graph 2.0
Networking by Social Graph 2.0 (Download PDF), see video below as well:
Satya and Jeff: we wish you full success – let's shorten time to market with the help of Social Graph 2.0 – be poised to win the Enterprise Social Graph battle first and foremost! |


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Awesome." That's how my ramble partner, the fabulous tween Olive Gardner, described a recent Saturday scoot-about to the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum.
Since our summers can be hotter than blazes, the air-conditioned fire center seemed a most appropriate destination. After a fiery lunch of 'cue sandwiches and spicy baked beans at nearby Jim 'N Nick's, we headed inside.
So how goes the awesomeness? For starters, 11-year-old Olive was admitted free, and I paid only six bucks. That was my first impression. Olive's rundown was a bit more studied. "I really liked the pole," she stressed. Said pole was a mock fire station brass pole that we—yes, we—slid down quite a few times. "I also liked the true and false game," she added. The punch-card test posed questions at 10 stations along a self-guided tour. Interestingly enough, Olive just finished Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch, much of which centers on the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. The museum showcased a kiosk on historic fires, covered the tragic event she'd read about, even ran a true-false question on it.
Olive also liked "the fire engine we could sit in and drive." The actual cab was très cool with its operational lights, sirens, horns, vibrating seats, and windshield depicting a city street. Rev her up, and the scene played as if we were barreling through traffic on the way to an emergency. "No offense," critiqued Olive, "but that would have been even cooler if the scene changed to where I steered, instead of me having to turn the wheel to the scene." (Spielberg, please take note.) Other winners: a buzzing game that had us matching firefighting tools to their names; the mock house that caught fire as though a ghost was setting it ablaze with common accidents; the fire hose water pressure strength test; and the pulley attached to 100-plus pounds of firefighting uniform and equipment. (Olive flung all 50 pounds of herself onto that rope, and it didn't budge. Good thing she's aiming for marine biology.)
And of course, there were the restored historic engines, ranging from an early 1857 hand pumper to a mid-century model emblazoned with "Gardner." There was a rare colonial-era wooden "engin," old-time leather fire brigade buckets and helmets, a 1700s fire rescue exhibit, and details on everything from fire insurance tags to battalion patches. The place schooled us on firefighting past and present while teaching prevention tips in such cool fashion that it felt like a stealth education.
Going home on I-26, we grew hoarse mimicking fire engines and ambulance sirens. At milepost 218, we passed the charred field where today's firefighters practice putting out flames in a several-stories-high cinder-block stairwell. Then we drove down Cannon and pulled over at the circa-1887 Station 7. We parked and headed to the back of the building, where sure enough, an old-time fire watchtower still stands guard, teaching us that the past is surely present in this city. Olive pointed out that they still use sliding poles inside the station, too.
North Charleston & American LaFrance Fire Museum. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. $6; free for child under 13. 4975 Centre Pointe Dr. (843) 740-5550, legacyofheroes.org


text: NAME Monitor::Simple - Simple monitoring of applications and services VERSION version 0.2.8 SYNOPSIS # check services defined in 'my.cfg' and report to the STDOUT use Monitor::Simple; my $args = { config_file => 'my.cfg' }; Monitor::Simple->check_services ($args); It displays something like this: DATE SERVICE STATUS MESSAGE Tue Sep 20 12:15:00 2011 Memory Check 1 Memory WARNING - 70.7% (1064960 kB) used Tue Sep 20 12:15:01 2011 NCBI PubMed page 0 OK --- or using a ready-to-use script: smonitor -cfg my.cfg DESCRIPTION The Monitor::Simple allows simple monitoring of applications and services of your IT infrastructure. There are many such tools, some of them very complex and sophisticated. For example, one widely used is *Nagios* (). The *Monitor::Simple* does not aim, as its name indicates, for all features provided by those tools. It allows, however, to check whether your applications and services are running correctly. Its simple command-line interface can be used in cron jobs and reports can be viewed as a single HTML or text page. Regarding what it checks, it uses the same concept as *Nagios*: all checking is done by plugins, standalone scripts. And more to it: these plugins are fully compatible with the Nagios plugins. Which means that you either write your own plugins and use them either with *Monitor::Simple* or with *Nagios*, or you can use many existing Nagios plugins and use them directly with the *Monitor::Simple*. For example, the "Memory check" in the synopsis above is an unchanged Nagios plugin. Another concept used by *Monitor::Simple* are notifiers. These are again standalone scripts that are called whenever a service/application check is done and there is a notifier (or notifiers) defined to be used. The notification can be sent (or ignored) for every possible check result (errors, OK, all, etc.). Because these *notifiers* are just standalone scripts, one can easily wrapped many existing notifying tools (pagers, SMS senders, etc.); again, many of them are known to Nagios and similar programs. Finally, the last "concept" in *Monitor::Simple* is the configuration. The Monitor::Simple uses an XML configuration file defining what services should be checked, how to check them (meaning, what plugins to use) and whom to notify (meaning, what notifiers to use). You can use Monitor::Simple without any Perl programming, just by creating a configuration file (because only you know what services you wish to check) and use it with the provided ready-to-use script smonitor, providing that the few plugins and notifiers distributed with Monitor::Simple are good enough (at least as a starting point). The *smonitor* has its own documentation describing its command-line parameters in details: smonitor -man However, either way (using *smonitor* or embedding *Monitor::Simple* into your Perl code), you need to write a configuration file. So, let's start with it: Configuration file The simplest configuration file is: It does nothing but also it does not complain. Even the root tag "smon" can be anything. But let's talk about more useful configuration files. They have a "general" section and a list of services to be checked in "services" section: However, it still does nothing. We need to add some services. Each service must have its "id" attribute and a "plugin" section where must be a "command" attribute: This configuration file, finally, does something. It invokes the plugin script "get-date.pl". The script only returns the current date (so it does not do much of the checking) but it returns it in compatible way with all other plugins (also with Nagios plugins). It is good for testing. Here is how it reports (assuming that we named our configuration file "my.cfg"): $> smonitor -cfg my.cfg DATE SERVICE STATUS MESSAGE Tue Sep 20 14:05:29 2011 service1 0 Tue Sep 20 14:05:29 2011 The "service" tag can also have a "name" attribute for a more human readable display name and a "description" tag (used in the HTML format of reports). The "plugin" tag can also have (and usually it has) more sub-tags. They varies depending on the plugin's command. Generally, all additional arguments for a plugin can be defined by the "args" and "arg" tags. They simply specify what will get the plugin on its command-line. For example, the Nagios plugin for checking available memory accepts these arguments: -u -w 55 -c 80 $> smonitor -cfg my.cfg DATE SERVICE STATUS MESSAGE Tue Sep 20 14:23:09 2011 Memory Check 1 Memory WARNING - 66.5% (893584 kB) used Read more about specific tags for plugins distributed with *Monitor::Simple* in the "Plugins" section. Each service can also have one or more notifiers. Each notifier (see "Notifiers") is an external script defined by the "command" attribute. The script will be executed if the attribute "on" is satisfied. The "on" attribute contains a code or a comma-separated list of codes representing the result of the service check. If the result matches the attribute value (or, in case of a list, any of the values), the notifier is invoked. If you need to use the codes in your Perl programming, they are available as constants *Monitor::Simple::NOTIFY_**. The code values in the configuration files are these: NOTIFY_OK => 'ok', NOTIFY_WARNING => 'w', NOTIFY_CRITICAL => 'c', NOTIFY_UNKNOWN => 'u', NOTIFY_ALL => 'all', NOTIFY_ERRORS => 'err', NOTIFY_NONE => 'none', There are few other attributes and sub-tags for notifiers, such as *whom* the notification should be sent to. They depend on the type of the notifier - read more about specific attributes and tags for notifiers distributed with *Monitor::Simple* in the "Notifiers" section. Here is an example of a service with two configured notifiers: -file report.txt Each notifier can also have an attribute "format" specifying the format of the notification. The formats are "tsv" (TAB-separated values), "html" and "human" (plain text). But read about pitfalls of some of these formats in the "Notifiers" section. Finally, the notifiers can be also specified in the "general" section of the configuration file. These notifiers are then used for every service (additionally to the notifiers defined in individual services): -file report.tsv ... Sometimes, you have a service for which you wish to exclude (to ignore) the general notifiers (those defined in the "general" tag). In such case use the "ignore-general-notifiers" tag: ... For exploring configuration, the *Monitor::Simple* distribution has directory Monitor/Simple/configs with few examples of configuration files. Plugins The plugins are external scripts that are invoked to do the real service checking. Each service has its plugin defined in the configuration file: The plugins usually take some parameters - which are also specified in the configuration files (examples below). Because plugins are just external scripts they can be anywhere on your machine. For such cases, you can use the full (absolute) path in the "command" attribute of the plugin. But usually, all (or most) plugins are in a single directory which you can specify in the "general" section of the configuration file: /some/directory/on/my/computer Default location for all plugins is a directory "plugins" in the directory where sub-modules of Monitor::Simple are installed. Which means "...somewhere/Monitor/Simple/plugins/". There are several rather general plugins distributed with the *Monitor::Simple*: Plugin: check-url.pl A general plugin for checking availability of a single URL, using the *HTTP HEAD* method. You can use this plugin to check if the URL of your service or application is not broken, or/and if it returns within a specified timeout period. The configuration is the following: http://you.server.org/home/applications.php 5 ... more s can be here... The "url" tag is mandatory, the "timeout" tag is only optional. There may be more "head-test" sections if you wish to check more URLs by the same plugin call. The plugin script is very simple; all the work is actually done by the method "Monitor::Simple::UserAgent->head_or_exit()". Plugin: check-post.pl This is a slightly generalized check-url.pl plugin. It can do also the "head-test"s (as the "check-url.pl" does) but its main purpose is to send data to the service using the *HTTP POST* method. It allows you to check whether your service returns expected data. The full configuration is the following: ... 5 ... text/json BRCA1 text/json Alternate_name Gene_Symbol ... At least one "post-test" section is mandatory, and it has to have a "url" and "data". The response can be checked for the returned *HTTP Content type* or for text anywhere within the response body, or for equality (after trimming heading and trailing white-spaces). More "contains" tags means that all such texts must be found in the response body. The plugin script is also simple; all the work is actually done by the method "Monitor::Simple::UserAgent->post_or_exit()". Plugin: check-get.pl This is very similar to check-post.pl plugin, except it uses *HTTP GET* method. And, therefore, it does not use "data" tag in the configuration file (because all input data are already part of the "url" tag). It does not use *HTTP HEAD* method. Again, it allows you to check whether your service returns expected data. The full configuration is the following: 5 ![CDATA[...]]> text/json ... ... ... At least one "get-test" section is mandatory, and it has to have a "url". The response can be checked for the returned *HTTP Content type* or for text anywhere within the response body, or for equality (after trimming heading and trailing white-spaces). More "contains" tags means that all such texts must be found in the response body. The plugin script is also simple; all the work is actually done by the method "Monitor::Simple::UserAgent->get_or_exit()". Plugin: check-prg.pl A general plugin that executes any command-line program with the given arguments and then it reports warning if there was any STDERR and it checks the STDOUT for expected values. The full configuration is the following: ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... At least one "prg-test" section is mandatory, and it has to have a "program" tag (a program that will be invoked). The STDOUT of the invoked program can be checked that it contains given text. More "contains" tags means that all such texts must be present. It can also make a test that the produced STDOUT is nothing than white-spaces and an integer. The "timeout" tag may specify how many seconds to wait for the program completion before it reports timeout warning. Again, the plugin script is simple; all the work is actually done by the method "Monitor::Simple::Utils->exec_or_exit()". Creating your own plugins Plugins are executed from inside of the main method "Monitor::Simple->check_services()". The method creates one of the two possible types of command-line. One is used for native *Monitor::Simple* plugins. This type is created if there are no "arg" tags in the plugin configuration: -service \ -cfg \ -logfile \ -loglevel \ -logformat The "service id" identifies what service this plugin was invoked for. The "-cfg config-file" contains a filename with the XML configuration. From this file, you can get the full configuration by using: my $config = Monitor::Simple::Config->get_config ($config_file); All command-line arguments can be parsed by calling "Monitor::Simple::Utils->parse_plugin_args()". Therefore, the *Monitor::Simple* native plugin scripts usually start with: use Monitor::Simple; use Log::Log4perl qw(:easy); # read command-line arguments and configuration my ($config_file, $service_id) = Monitor::Simple::Utils->parse_plugin_args ('', @ARGV); LOGDIE ("Unknown service (missing parameter '-service ')\n") unless $service_id; my $config = Monitor::Simple::Config->get_config ($config_file); As you see in this example, you can use the logging system by calling "Log::Log4perl" so-called "easy" methods: DEBUG(), INFO(), WARN(), ERROR(), LOGDIE() and LOGWARN(), without doing anything with the log-related arguments. If the plugin configuration contains "arg" tags, then the plugin will be invoked with the command-line exactly as defined by these "args" tags. This is how to use plugins written without *Monitor::Simple* support. An example is the Nagios plugin "check-mem.pl". Its configuration looks like this: -u -w 75 -c 80 and it will be called with this command-line: check_mem.pl -u -w 75 -c 80 Regarding the results, each plugin is expected to comply with the Nagios plugins standard which means: Exit code The exit code should be zero for success and 1, 2 or 3 when the checking failed: Exit code Service State 0 OK 1 WARNING 2 CRITICAL 3 UNKNOWN In your programming you may use the predefined constants in *Monitor::Simple* module: use constant { RETURN_OK => 0, RETURN_WARNING => 1, RETURN_CRITICAL => 2, RETURN_UNKNOWN => 3, } STDOUT The output can be a single line of text (which is mandatory), or it can be more lines (they are optional). TEXT OUTPUT LONG TEXT LINE 1 LONG TEXT LINE 2 ... LONG TEXT LINE N Additionally, the first and the last line can be extended by "performance data" separated by a bar ("|") character: TEXT OUTPUT | OPTIONAL PERFDATA LONG TEXT LINE 1 LONG TEXT LINE 2 ... LONG TEXT LINE N | PERFDATA LINE 2 PERFDATA LINE 3 ... PERFDATA LINE N The *Monitor::Simple* does not do anything special with the performance data, it just leaves them in the report. But you should be aware of it and not to use bar characters in the output of your plugins. The *Monitor::Simple* provides few methods that can be useful in your plugins. For example, for checking availability of a URL or for checking contents of a checked web page. See the distributed plugins (and their documentation above) for more details. Notifiers The notifiers are external scripts that are called whenever a need for a notification occurs. The notifiers can be specified for individual services, or for all services (see examples in "Configuration file"). Each notifier is used independently on other notifiers; there is no mechanism collecting them together and sending all notifications in one go. If you need a "collective report" (which you often do) for all services, use rather STDOUT produced by the "Monitor::Simple->check_services()" method. This method can be used in a program (do not forget the ready-to-use such program "smonitor") that is called in a cron job - and the cron job itself takes care about sending an email with the full result, without any notifier. Sending email notifications by using notifiers is more fine-grained: with the notifiers you can send notifications to different email addresses for each service or a group of services. Because of the independence of notifiers, some notification formats may be less convenient. You can use without problems the "tsv" (TAB-separated values) format because this format does not produce any header or footer lines. All such notifications can be, therefore, conveniently, appended to a single file keeping the full history of all checking. Other formats, such as "html", are better used for not-so-frequent notifications, such as sending an email if a service failed. A notifier is invoked only if the result of a service check matches the code in the "on" attribute of this notifier (again, see the "Configuration file"). Because notifiers are just external scripts they can be anywhere on your machine. For such cases, you can use the full (absolute) path in the "command" attribute of the notifier. But usually, all (or most) notifiers are in a single directory which you can specify in the "general" section of the configuration file: /some/directory/on/my/computer Default location for all notifiers is a directory "notifiers" in the directory where sub-modules of *Monitor::Simple* are installed. Which means "...somewhere/Monitor/Simple/notifiers/". This is also the place where you can find the ready-to-use notifiers coming with the *Monitor::Simple* distribution. Each of them has slightly different needs for the configuration: Notifier: copy-to-file A notifier appending its notification to a file. Here is how to configure this notifier (either within the "service" tag or within the "general" tag): -file report.tsv -login senger@allele The mandatory "-file" argument specifies the name of a file (usually with the full path) where the notification will be appended. The argument "-login" allows to use a file on a remote machine, providing the SSH login name. This notifier does not have any provision for specifying a password. Therefore, the user from the "-login" argument must have its public key already installed on the remote machine. Notifier: send-email A notifier sending notification to one or more email addresses. Be aware that this could work only if your computer can send emails. If not check the following notifier "send-email-via-ssh". Configuration of this notifier uses either attribute "email" or "email-group" or both. Each of this attributes can have one or more, comma-separated, values. Examples are: If you use the "email-group" attribute, you need also to tell what addresses this group contains. It is done in the "general" section. For example: jitka@localhost guest@localhost email@example.com Notifier: send-email-via-ssh This notifier does the same as the previous *send-email* except that it first logs-in to a remote machine using SSH and executes the "mail" command there. It is useful when your computer cannot directly send emails - but it requires that you have an SSH account somewhere and that machine has your SSH public key installed (there is no provision for specifying a password in this notifier configuration). The configuration attributes for this notifier are the same as for "send-email" (except the different name of the command) and additionally it has the "-login" argument: -login email@example.com Creating your own notifiers The notifiers are invoked - whenever necessary - from inside of the main method "Monitor::Simple->check_services()". The method creates the following command-line: -service \ -msg \ -emails email1 [email2...] \ -logfile \ -loglevel \ -logformat \ where additional arguments comes from the configuration file from the "arg" tags specified for this notifier. The "service id" identifies what service this notifier was invoked for. The "-msg file" is a filename with already formatted notification message. Read this file but do not destroy it - other notifiers may want to read it, too. The "-emails..." may not be relevant to your notifier but if there were attributes "email" and/or "email-group" in the notifier configuration they are passed here. All basic (not additional) arguments can be parsed by calling "Monitor::Simple::Utils->parse_notifier_args()". Therefore, the notifier script usually starts with: use Monitor::Simple; use Log::Log4perl qw(:easy); # read command-line arguments my ($service_id, $msgfile, $emails) = Monitor::Simple::Utils->parse_notifier_args (\@ARGV); You can continue by parsing the additional arguments (if any). Here is an example from "send-email-via-ssh" notifier: # read more command-line arguments specific for this notifier my ($login_name); Getopt::Long::Configure ('no_ignore_case', 'pass_through'); GetOptionsFromArray (\@ARGV, 'login=s' => \$login_name, ); LOGDIE ("Missing parameter '-login' with hostname or user\@hostname\n") unless $login_name; And then you do whatever your notifier needs to do. You can use the logging system by calling "Log::Log4perl" so-called "easy" methods: DEBUG(), INFO(), WARN(), ERROR(), LOGDIE() and LOGWARN(). MODULES and METHODS The best way to explore modules, methods and how to use them is to look the *smonitor* script. Here is a short summary what methods are available. The main focus is on methods helping to write your own plugins and notifiers. Monitor::Simple This module is a wrapper for all other modules and has only one, but important, method (it is a class method): check_services ($args) It loops over all services and checks them (by invoking their plugins). If necessary, it invokes their notifiers. And it produces a summary report about all checks. The $args is a hashref with the following keys and values: config_file -> $file A mandatory argument. It specifies what configuration to use. outputter => an instance of *Monitor::Simple::Output* This outputter will be responsible for creating the summary report of all checks. If not given, a default outputter is used. filter => hashref or arrayref or scalar If any filter given then it contains IDs of services that will be checked (and only them will be checked). Of course, it can still be only services that are defined in the configuration file. The scalar is use if you need to check only one service. The arrayref points to a list of service IDs. The hashref has service IDs as keys (values are ignored). nonotif => boolean If set to true all notifications (for all services) will be disabled. Default is false. npp => integer Maximum number of service checks done in parallel. Default is 10. Monitor::Simple::Config This module helps to find and explore the configuration file (that defines what should be monitored). There are no instances of this module (no "new" or similar method), all methods are class methods (but still methods - so use "Monitor::Simple::Config->" to call them). resolve_config_file ($filename) It tries to locate given $filename and return its full path: a) as it is - if such file exists b) as $ENV{MONITOR_SIMPLE_CFG_DIR}/$filename c) in the directory where the main invoker (e.g. your program) is located d) in one of the @INC directories e) return undef get_config ([$filename]) It reads configuration from a file and returns it as a hashref. The configuration is looked for in the given $filename or in a default configuration file name. The path to both given and default configuration file is resolved by rules defined in resolve_config_file(). The default configuration file name is in $Monitor::Simple::DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE. extract_service_config ($service_id, $config) Return a hashref with configuration for a given service (identified by its $service_id). If such configuration cannot be found, a warning is issued and undef is returned. The service configuration is looked for in the given hashref $config containing the full configuration (usually obtained by get_config()). Monitor::Simple::UserAgent This module deals with the Web communication. It uses *LWP::UserAgent* module to do the communication. It uses only class methods. head_or_exit ($service_id, $config) It makes the *HTTP HEAD* test described in check_url.pl plugin. If everything okay it just returns. Otherwise, it exits with the Nagios-compliant reporting (see more about it in report_and_exit()). This method uses "head-test" portion of this service configuration. post_or_exit ($service_id, $config) It makes the *HTTP POST* test described in check_post.pl plugin. If everything okay it just returns. Otherwise, it exits with the Nagios-compliant reporting (see more about it in report_and_exit()). This method uses "post-test" portion of this service configuration. Monitor::Simple::Output This module is responsible for outputting the results of service checks in several different formats. It is also used by notifiers to format their notification messages. The main method is "out()" that prints the given message in the given format to the given target, both as defined in the "new()" constructor method. new (%args) It creates an instance (an *outputter*) with the given arguments. The recognized keys are: config => $config A configuration - the only mandatory argument. outfile => $file A destination of the messages. onlyerr => 1 | 0 It influences where the method "out()" prints its messages. If "onlyerr" is set to 1 (default is 0) only the erroneous messages will be sent to STDOUT. Here are various combinations of "outfile" and "onlyerr" arguments: outfile onlyerr what will be done -------------------------------------------- yes no all output to file yes yes all output to file + errors also on STDOUT no no all output to STDOUT no yes only errors to STDOUT --------------------------------------------- format => tsv | human | html How to format output messages. Default is "human". The list of actually supported formats can be obtained by calling a class method "Monitor::Simple::Output->list_formats()". cssurl => $url Used only for "html" format . It points to a URL with the CSS-stylesheet for the output. By default, it uses stylesheet similar to the one shown in the distribution in file Monitor/Simple/configs/monitor-default.css. list_formats A class method. It returns a hashref with a list of actually supported formats (keys) and their description (values). At the time of writing this document, it returns: { tsv => 'TAB-separated (good for machines)', human => 'Easier readable by humans', html => 'Formatted as an HTML document' } out ($service_id, $code, $message) It formats and outputs one message about a just finished service check (with an additional date field). $service_id defines what service is the report about, $code indicates what kind of message is being outputted (see $Monitor::Simple::RETURN* constants) and $msg is the real message. This method outputs one message, nothing before and nothing after it. Because some formats needs also a header and possible a footer, there are also methods "header" and "footer". header ([$header]) It outputs a header line (in the format specified in the "new()" constructor). The content of the header is either taken from the $header argument or a default one is used. footer ([$footer]) It outputs a footer line (in the format specified in the "new()" constructor). The content of the footer is either taken from the $footer argument or a default one is used. Monitor::Simple::Notifier This module is responsible for deciding whether a notification should be sent and for sending it. The main method is "notify()" that actually does first the decision if the notification should be sent and then sending it using its own "outputter", an instance of *Monitor::Simple::Output*. new (%args) It creates an instance (an *outputter*) with the given arguments. The recognized keys are: config => $config A configuration - the only mandatory argument. Actually, so far, the only argument. notify ($result) Given a $result of a service check, it makes all expected notifications (as defined in the $config given in the "new()" constructor). The $result is a hashref with this content: { service => $service_id, code => $code, msg => $msg } Monitor::Simple::Log log_init ($logging_options) It initiates logging (using the *Log::Log4perl* module). $logging_options is a hashref with the keys "level", "file" and "layout" (some or all keys may be missing). The level is a (case-insensitive) text acceptable by the method "Log::Log4perl::Level::to_priority()": "debug", "info", "warn", "error" or "fatal". The file is where the log will be created to. Value STDOUT is also accepted. Finally, the layout is a format of the log messages as defined by in Log::Log4Perl; default value being %d (%r) %p> %m%n When writing a plugin or a notifier, this method is called for you automatically from the parse_plugin_args() or parse_notifier_args(). get_logging_options It returns currently used logging options - in the same format as the same options are define in log_init(). Monitor::Simple::Utils This module is a container for various methods that did not fit elsewhere. There are no instances of this module (no "new" or similar method), all methods are class methods (but still methods - so use "Monitor::Simple::Util->" to call them). parse_plugin_args ($default_service_id, @args) It reads plugin's command-line arguments @args. It returns two-element array with the configuration file name (may be undef) and service ID (if the service id is found in @args, it uses $default_service_id). It uses logging options (if any found in @args) to set the logging system. Read about possible arguments in @args in "Plugins". report_and_exit ($service_id, $config, $exit_code, $return_msg) It prints $return_msg on the STDOUT and exits with the $exit_code. $config is not used (at least now) and can be undef. This method is usually the last call in your plugin. exec_or_exit ($service_id, $config) It executes an external program with the given arguments and (optionally) checks its STDOUT for the given content. If everything okay it just returns. Otherwise, it exits with the Nagios-compliant reporting (see more about it in report_and_exit()). This method uses "prg-test" portion of this service configuration. parse_notifier_args ($args) It reads plugin's command-line arguments $args (an arrayref - so the recognized arguments can be removed from the provided array). It returns a three-element array with a service ID, a file name with the notification message and a reference to an array with all email addresses (may be empty for some notifiers). It uses logging options (if any found in $args) to set the logging system. Read about possible arguments in $args in "Notifiers". BUGS Please report any bugs or feature requests to . Known bugs and limitations Locking remote files The *copy-to-file* notifier adds notification messages to a file on a remote machine (if it is configured to use SSH) and it does it without any concern about the potential need of exclusively locking that file (it may be accessed in the same time by many notifiers). It is this way because it uses program "cat" which, as far as I know, does not do locking. Similarly, log files are not using any locking. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Thanks to Gisbert W. Selke "" the tests should be now working also under Windows. He also provided a new version of the "check_mem.pl" - under the name *check_mem2.pl* - a plugin, that should work both under Windows and Unix. AUTHOR Martin Senger COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE This software is copyright (c) 2013 by Martin Senger, CBRC-KAUST (Computational Biology Research Center - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) All Rights Reserved. This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.


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