text:
Hell's Kitchen
This is My New York
"Many people might think of Hell's Kitchen as the rough and tumble neighborhood that it was, but it is not. It now is a great epicenter for food and culinary marvels; you can always find something to eat while in Hell's Kitchen."
1. ALVIN AILEY CENTER FOR DANCE | 405 West 55th St.
I'll start off my day with an hour of Zumba at Alvin Ailey. Zumba is a Latin cardio dance class and is a great workout to begin the day. Beginners and walk-ins are always welcome.
2. GOSSIP BAR AND RESTAURANT | 733 9th Ave.
After my workout, I'm ready for a power salad at Gossip, one of Hell's Kitchen's trendiest pubs. I highly recommend the bleu cheese salad with bacon. The kitchen is open until 2:00 am.
3. INTREPID AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM | Pier 86 at 46th St.
After lunch, I'll head towards Pier 86 to tour the Intrepid Air and Space Museum. Their mission is to honor the nation's heroes, educate the public and inspire the youth. This museum offers family friendly activities and programs all year long.
4. BOCCA DI BACCO | 828 9th Ave. at 55th St.
With homemade pastas and over 500 Italian wines to choose from, Bocca di Bacco has become a destination place for tourists, celebrities and native New Yorkers.
5. HELL'S KITCHEN FLEA MARKET | 39th St. btwn 9th and 10th Aves.
Every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm, year round (weather permitting), is the famous Hell's Kitchen flea market. Shop for antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, furniture and jewelry.
6. SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY'S BBQ | 645 9th Ave. at 45th St.
Created by Justin Timberlake, the menu offers southern favorites such as pulled pork sandwiches, baby back ribs, BBQ chicken and southern fried catfish.
7. HAKKASAN | 311 West 43rd St.
Hakkasan is a high-end Chinese fusion restaurant with a swanky bar. A great addition to the area and perfect for pre and post theater!
8. DON'T TELL MAMA'S CABARET AND PIANO LOUNGE | 343 W. 46th St.
The professional singing wait staff offer up a range of songs nightly from Broadway to jazz, rock and pop!
9. THE PRESS LOUNGE | 653 11th Ave. at 48th St.
The views of Manhattan and the Hudson River are totally unobstructed! The Press Lounge offers cocktails and light fare until 2:00 am. A casual elegant dress code is enforced.
10. DANJI | 346 West 52nd St.
For dinner, l'll head to this very quaint restaurant specializing in contemporary Korean cuisine. Try the Bulgogi beef sliders with spicy pickled cucumber and scallion salsa. For great Korean food in the city, Danji is well worth any wait!


text:
Monday, August 11, 2014
July 2014 federal polling averages
from June and the highest they have recorded going back at least as far as before 2009. It was also their first month of increase since January, and stretches their lead overt the Conservatives to 16 months.
The Conservatives were down 2.9 points, averaging 28.1% support. The New Democrats were down 2.6 points to 21.7%, their lowest result since April 2011.
The Greens were down 0.2 points to 5.5%, while the Bloc Québécois was also down 0.2 points to 4.5%. Support for other parties stood at an average of 1.5%.
The Conservatives fell 4.1 points in Alberta, but still led with 51.3%. The Liberals gained for the third consecutive month, jumping 6.6 points to 29.3%. That is their best since May 2013. The NDP was down 1.8 points to 11.1%, their lowest since December 2013. The Greens were down 1.2 points to 5.5%.
In the Prairies, the Conservatives slipped to their lowest level since December 2013, down 8.5 points to 35%. The Liberals were up 2.5 points to 33.4%, their best since February, while the NDP was up 3.1 points to 24.1%, its best since January. The Greens gained two points and averaged 6% support.
The Liberals made a big gain in Ontario, increasing 6.8 points to hit 44.5%. That is their highest support on record going back before 2009. That is especially surprising considering the Liberals had been holding steady in Ontario for the previous 11 months. The Conservatives were down 4.4 points to 30.9%, their lowest since May, while the NDP was down three points to just 17.7%. That is their lowest since March 2011 and, aside from a blip last month, have been dropping in Ontario for four consecutive months. The Greens were unchanged at 5.7%.
In Quebec, the Liberals were up 4.2 points and re-took the lead at 35.4%, their best result since January. The NDP was down 6.4 points to 27.9%, its lowest since December 2013. The Bloc was up 0.5 points to 18.4%, while the Conservatives gained 2.1 points to reach 14.4%. The Greens were down 0.4 points to 2.9%.
And in Atlantic Canada, the Liberals were up 0.5 points to 50.5%, their seventh consecutive month of majority support in the region. The New Democrats were up 3.2 points to 23.5%, their highest since September 2013 and the third consecutive month of gains. The Conservatives fell to third with a 3.1-point slip to 20.9%, while the Greens were down 1.6 points to 3.7%.
This is a great amount of change since last month. The Liberals picked up one seat in the north, one in Atlantic Canada, two in the Prairies, three in Alberta, six in British Columbia, 11 in Quebec, and 19 in Ontario. The Conservatives gained four seats in Quebec, but dropped one in Atlantic Canada, three in Alberta, five in B.C., seven in the Prairies, and 16 in Ontario. The NDP was up five seats in the Prairies, but down one in the north and British Columbia, three in Ontario, and 16 in Quebec.
This is one indication of how remarkable the numbers were in July. It could be that opinion shifted last month, or it could be just the product of which pollsters were in the field (EKOS and Forum tend to poll better for the Liberals). We will have to see what the polls in the coming weeks and months have to say.
33 comments:
It would be interesting to see how the Conservative numbers would change if someone other than Harper were to lead the party.ReplyDeleteReplies
I think Conservative numbers should naturally increase (at the expense of Liberals) if they have a new leader. The allure of having a new PM after nearly nine years should give the party a good short term boost.Delete
The only exception is if the new leader is exceptionally lousy.
And Jay I can't think of anybody in the current crop of CPC Parliament members who is even as good as Harper. So where do they get one ??Delete
Jason Kenny seems the most capable and person up to the taskDelete
My first choice would be Maxime Bernier, but there's no way the party would go for that.Delete
James Moore is pretty good.
I like Jason Kenney, but I don't think choosing another Calgary MP is a good idea politically.
Harper is definitely the most shrewd. But I am sure there are many people who can boost the CPC's fortune in the short term. Even an "average" cabinet minister like Lisa Raitt can boost the CPC's standing in the polls for a bit.
Jason Kenney is the closest to a heir apparent. But I think the next CPC leadership race, whenever it happens will be a competitive race with a high number of candidates.
However, John Turner and Kim Campbell were leading in the polls before they led their party to an election - so a short term boost does not mean much.
Remember Jay what happened to Turner and Campbell !! 'Nuff said !!Delete
Interesting shifts Eric ?ReplyDelete
the NDP have squandered their gains since May 2011, not too surprisingly... The fiascos of their campaigns in BC and Ontario, and the way Mulcair has handled the assault Gaza (hurting him in Quebec) along with what is now clearly an authoritarian party leadership and a shift to the right (outflanking the Ontario Liberals, for example) means they are probably losing their progressive base, the progressive who joined in 2011, and they're gaining nothing from the centre and right voters they've been courting.ReplyDeleteReplies
I don't support team Orange but you have nicely summarised what we have witnessed over the last couple years.
As Chantal Hebert hypothesised some weeks ago Liberal and Conservative voters don't vote NDP. This shift to the right and to be fair I think it began under Layton, probably reached its maximum extent in May 2011. The only way for the NDP to regain their lost ground is to go after Trudeau without Mercy.
In my opinion the only way the NDP can ascend to the "next level" as a potential governing party is to beat out the Liberals in the seat count. If the NDP can be the "lead coalition member" (assuming a coalition after the next election which I do not think likely unless the Liberals come third) then, the Liberals will be in trouble.
The NDP is hampered in capturing the "loose Tory and Grit vote" by their constitutional policies. The "loose" Tories and Grits are probably skeptical not only about 50%+1 but "rocking the boat" in general. The NDP's constitutional policies scare these more conservative voters and prevent the NDP from emerging into a "governing party".Delete
The Senate abolition policy is a good example as it is particularly problematic for the NDP. Everybody knows the Senate's approval rating is somewhere in the mid-teens but, on a straight forward question of abolition the lure of bicameralism may be considerably stronger.
As you may know, Ireland has a indirectly elected Senate consisting of members elected through vocational panels, graduates of certain universities and some appoint by the prime minister. it has suffered much the same criticism as Canada's Senate and for much the same reasons.
It is interesting that when Irish voters were given the option of abolition recently 52% elected to keep the Senate. This was not an endorsement per se of the Senate but, I think demonstrates the strength of bicameralism. For whatever the arguments in favour of abolition an equally strong case can be made for the dangers of unicameralism and the over consolidation of power in the hands of the few.
I don't know if 52% of Canadians would vote to keep the Senate but on a straight up question of unicameralism v. bicameralism I think bicameralism would take the day.
This is not to say Trudeau's Senate position is any better. Trudeau's position is irresponsible and sets the stage for a constitutional crisis.
Hi Eric, I am wondering if the Liberals gain any seats in Saskatchewan with your projection and if so are you able to share with us which riding(s)?ReplyDelete
8 seats for the Liberals in the Prairies is impressive. I am assuming 6 or 7 of them will be in Manitoba where they are usually stronger.Replies
No gains for the Liberals in Saskatchewan.Delete
Based off 2011's numbers, it would take a lot for the Liberals to gain any extra seats in Saskatchewan. However, I suspect that in a real election, you would see major unexpected shifts in certain ridings that normal models wouldn't predict - i.e., Goodale goes up by only a bit in Wascana, while nearby in Lewvan the Liberals jump up! 20 or more points.Delete
- Anonymous14 August, 2014 04:18
My guess would be that Liberals would pick up seats in Manitoba, while the New Democrats would do so in Saskatchewan, primarily in Regina and the far north.Delete
Wininpeg south, Winnipeg south centre, St. Boniface would be among the first ones that come to mind as possible pickups they were the closest last election. I could be missing another but I think that would be about it.Delete
Seat gains are difficult to predict this far out in advance. It will depend upon the campaigns the parties run & the candidates in the individual ridings.ReplyDeleteReplies
Not just campaigns but even more important policies !! That I think will be the crucial area .Delete
When have policies ever been relevant in a federal election campaign?Delete
Last election, or perhaps the one before, Nanos had a break down on what motivates individual voters in terms of the reasons why they vote the way they do. I searched for it, but sadly could not find the information on his site anymore. Anyway it was something like ~5% voted on tradition, they always voted for a particular party and will continue to. ~20% voted on the policy of the party, ~20% voted on who was the leader of the party and if they wanted said person to be the PM. Can't remember all the other categories sadly...so policy does matter to some.Delete
Ira, 1988!Delete
These polling numbers, especially from Ontario make a lot of sense. No doubt the Libs are getting a bounce from the recent Ontario Provincial Lib majority. If the trend continues, the Cons will almost certainly be shutout of Toronto and most, if not all of the 905. Even though the federal election campaign is still over a year away, if 'progressives' see that the Liberals are within earshot of a majority some swing Green, NDPers and red Tories (do they even exist anymore?) will shift their vote to the Libs to finish off Stevie and the Cons. However, if it's looking more like a minority situation, I think the NDP will fare better.ReplyDelete
So I did a little test using the June and July data for 2013 and 2014 at the Wikipedia page holding the poll data.ReplyDelete
I based it on the five polls done in June/July 2014
2014 Ekos, Forum (2), Abacus, Angus-Reid
2013 Ekos, Forum (2),Abacus, Ipsos-Reid
There were more polls last June, but I wanted to compare samples with the same pollsters.
Using June/July results gets a larger sample and lets us eliminate any seasonal effects in the trend.
2013 --- Libs 33.1--- Cons 29.2 --- NDP 24.5 --- Gr 6.1
2014 --- Libs 37.1--- Cons 29.3 --- NDP 22.1 --- Gr 5.4
Not as big a difference as taking month to month comparison, but it does show the Liberals consolidating the vote that's looking for an alternative to Harper. Still, the latest Forum vote might be biasing the data a little. It's hard to believe that Liberals are at 44%.
"The most recent poll to be released, done by EKOS last month, pegs the Conservatives in the mid-20s, in a statistical tie with the NDP and 13 points behind the Liberals. "ReplyDelete
Chantal Hebert in today's Toronto Star. Looks like the Tories need to do a rethink ?
Since the 2011 election, the poll numbers have shown clear differences between the pollsters.ReplyDelete
The top 9 Liberal results have been from 9 Forum polls.
The top 17 Liberal results have been 14 Forum polls and 3 EKOS polls.
The 8 lowest Conservative results have been from 7 EKOS polls and a Harris-Decima poll.
That 2 of the three polls this month were Forum and EKOS should colour our interpretation of the average quite a bit.
I'd be really curious to know where those 6 Liberal seats in Alberta are...ReplyDeleteReplies
In my model, I only have 4 LPC ridings in Alberta, and they are:Delete
Fort McMurray-Cold Lake
Fort McMurray-Cold Lake!Delete
Aren't those folks supposed to be in love with Harper's religious devotion to the tar sands? Or maybe they have some misgivings about the environmental destruction and removal of local government...
Large Aboriginal population in Ft. Mac-Cold Lake.Delete
Nothwithstanding Thierry's prediction I don't think any Alberta ridings are winnable for Trudeau. At the most recent by-election the Tories won by 11%. Turnout was very low and this probably helped the Liberals who scored a very respectable 35%.
In That part of the Province there is no other industry but, the tar sands and while I think people are concerned about their environment, they are also not about to vote themselves out of a job.
In my simulator, the July average gives me:ReplyDelete
By "province", it gives me:
British Columbia:
COMMENT MODERATION POLICY - Please be respectful when commenting. If choosing to remain anonymous, please sign your comment with some sort of pseudonym to avoid confusion. Please do not use any derogatory terms for fellow commenters, parties, or politicians. Inflammatory and overly partisan comments will not be posted. PLEASE KEEP DISCUSSION ON TOPIC.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
On 5 April 2016 the JRC presented the interactive and collaborative online European Energy Efficiency Platform. This beta platform is conceived to fill the gap opened by scattered data and fragmented knowledge resulting from a rapidly growing energy efficiency market. It is expected to be both a one-stop shop for information retrieval and a meeting point for experts to exchange data and reduce redundant activities.
Based on the priority currently given by the European Union to the energy efficiency topic through its Energy Union Package, this feasibility study has focused on the role of location data in support of energy efficiency policies, taking into account the requirements of INSPIRE, EPBD and EED Directives, as well as the CoM initiative. The EU Member States are already due to implement such Directives according to different...
Last Updated on 24 Sep 202024 Sep 2020Total Views 555555
Monday, September 12, 2016 - 12:30 to Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - 12:30
This workshop is jointly organised by the Directorate B – Growth and Innovation - Digital Economy Unit and the Directorate C – Energy, Transport and Climate - Energy Efficiency and Renewables Unit of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC).
Last Updated on 21 Sep 201621 Sep 2016Total Views 219219
Monday, September 26, 2016 - 09:00 to Friday, September 30, 2016 - 17:00
The INSPIRE Conference 2016 will take place in Barcelona, 26-30 September 2016 It will be organised through a series of plenary sessions addressing common policy issues, and parallel sessions focusing in particular on applications and implementations of INSPIRE, interoperability challenges and solutions, research issues and new and evolving technologies and applications and poster presentations.
Last Updated on 07 Jun 201607 Jun 2016Total Views 9898
The main objective of this workshop was to share experience in data collection and methodologies to support energy efficiency policies and scope a possible pilot.
Last Updated on 02 Mar 201602 Mar 2016Total Views 129129
The European Union Location Framework (EULF) project promotes effective location-enabled e-government across Europe, as part of the Interoperability Solutions for Public Administrations (ISA) programme.
Last Updated on 05 Nov 201505 Nov 2015Total Views 5656
Thematic Areas
E3P Research Areas
The European Energy Efficiency Platform is an open collaborative tool for a strong and connected energy efficiency community.
The content in it is divided in six thematic and four cross-thematic areas.
Thematic Areas
Cross-thematic AreasPolicies and TargetsTechnology and StandardsEconomics and FinancingBehaviours and SocialEnergy Service CompaniesStay
News & Events
The present report aims to provide an overview of the main issues at stake with the calculation methods for energy savings generated by measures implemented by EU Member States under Article 7 of the Directive 2012/27/EU on Energy Efficiency (EED).Stay
This site uses the secure single sign-on (SSO) service of the European Commission - EU Login, to authenticate you.Stay
Thematic Area
- (-) Remove Urban Areas filter Urban Areas
- (-) Remove Energy Generation and Distribution filter Energy Generation and Distribution
- (-) Remove Industry filter Industry
- (-) Remove Transport and Mobility filter Transport and Mobility
- Buildings (5) Apply Buildings filter
Cross-thematic Areas
- (-) Remove Policies and Targets filter Policies and Targets
- (-) Remove Economics and Financing filter Economics and Financing
- Technology and Standards (2) Apply Technology and Standards filter
Type of Content
Created by
Geographical Area
- (-) Remove INSPIRE filter INSPIRE
- Location data (5) Apply Location data filter
- Energy and Location (2) Apply Energy and Location filter
- big data (1) Apply big data filter
- EED (1) Apply EED filter
- Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (1) Apply Energy Performance of Buildings Directive filter
- EULF (1) Apply EULF filter
- methodologies (1) Apply methodologies filter


text:
Samsung has insisted that the spokesman who suggested that the company had done badly on tablets was actually trying to point out how confident the Korean giant was.
In an interview with CNET(covered on TechRadar), Hakil Yoon was quoted as saying "honestly, we're not doing very well on tablets."
However, Samsung's UK office has contacted us with what he actually meant to say, which was: "Seeking to kill your own product by releasing increasingly compelling devices might position Samsung as a confident brand."
"A brand ambitious to improve its products so that the choice for consumers is between several Samsung products rather than between Samsung and its competitors' products," the statement continued.
CNET's quotes picked up coverage across the globe, but Samsung appears keen to pull the messaging back into line from what appears to have been an errant comment.
What is indisputable is that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has earned a lot of interest from the journalists at MWC 2012, with its pre-loaded Photoshop Touch and the S-Pen stylus.


text:
Hello All,
I have created an application using Visual C# Express that talk to a Visual C++ Express DLL file that I created. The application runs just fine on two computers, one running windows 7 and one running windows xp. Both computer have visual c# and visual c++ express editions installed.
The problem is when I try to run the application in a computer that doesn't have visual c# or visual c++ installed. The application form comes up but when I try to run it it doesn't find the DLL file. I have installed .NET 4.0 on the pc I'm trying to run it already.
What I did was just copy the files from the bin/release folder of C# and moved then to the PC I wanted the application to run at. I also tried to copy the DLL file to the release folder with no luck. It doesn't find the DLL file.
I hope someone can give me advice on this.


text:
The Cloud Fails | TechSNAP 2
Posted on: April 25, 2011
Reality rained on Amazon's Cloud recently as aspects of their EC2 hosting service suffered major outages. We look at the many issues facing cloud computing.
Plus we dig into the iPhone location tracking story, and brainstorm a few possible solutions to a potentially necessary evil.
Then we'll look at How HBGary wrote backdoors for the government, and exactly how the recent RSA security hack actually happened, and why it's still a major issue!
iTunes & RSS Feeds:
Show Notes:
Topic: iPhone GPS History and new IP geolocation techniques
Involuntary Geolocation To Within One Kilometer
How Apple tracks your location without consent, and why it matters
Major Issues with the Latest iPhone Tracking "Discovery"
- Why does this data need to be stored for more than an hour?
- Who else can read this data?
- Why does this data follow you between devices?
- Can this data be used against you in court?
Topic: Hashed Passwords and why they are important
A new data retention law in France proposed to force all websites to keep the name, address, telephone number and plain text password for it's users. This would include e-commerce sites, webmail providers, and online video hosts. This would effectively outlaw the practice of hashing passwords. Using cryptographic hashes is standard practise for a reason, it is secure.
Allan on hashing and passwords:
All modern secure websites use 'hashing' to store passwords, an irreversible one-way 'encryption' (not actually encryption, but you get the idea). This means that the website does not actually know what your password is, it just uses the same algorithm on the password you attempt to login with, if the hash matches the one in the database, you have entered the correct password. Hashing algorithms are deterministic, meaning the same input always generates the same output. This is both a critical part of the system, as well as a potential vulnerability. If two users have the same password, they will have the same hash. To combat this, and to make techniques such as rainbow tables more difficult, secure hashing algorithms use a salt, some amount of randomness added to the password to make it more unique, and harder to brute force, this bit of randomness is stored as part of the hash, because the plain text of the randomness is needed to compare the attempted password.
- Data retention is evil. The government does not have the right to force other people to collect data on you.
- the onus is on ISPs and in this case Individual websites to pay for warehousing all of this data in case the french government or law enforcement ask for it.
- Secure password hashing is imperative to security. The main reason some of the major security compromises of the past few years, such as gawker, thepiratebay, and more were not far worse, was due to the hashing of the passwords in the stolen databases.
- If, for example, the database for a web forum is hacked, if it does not use any security, then all of the passwords are in plain text and ripe for the picking. If regular hashes are used (MD5, SHA1, SHA256/512) then brute force or a rainbow table can be used to retrieve the plain text passwords, this can require a lot of time and resources depending on the strength of the passwords that were used. If secure salted hashing algorithms are used, (MD5, SHA256/512, Blowfish) then only brute force is an option, and the algorithms beyond MD5 are adjustable, allowing for a trade off between performance and security, as well as allowing the algorithms to scale as computers get faster and brute force becomes less improbable.
- The law is being opposed by Google, Facebook, eBay, Dailymotion and many other major online brands.
Topic: Today Reality rained on Amazon's Cloud
You need to consider using more than 1 provider if you want to achieve high availability in the cloud. This is where portability is important, being able to easily move in and out of different cloud providers. Many cloud systems attempt to lock you in, using non-standard systems that are highly specialized to their own service.
- Brought down a huge list of sites, including reddit, fourshare, quora, hootsuite, and about.me
- Latency on EBS volumes, which are the data store backing EC2 instances
- Internet connectivity issues on EC2 instances (unreachable at times)
- Effected multiple 'availability zones' across the US-EAST-1 region (degraded high availiabilty)
- Increased error rates on API calls
- Extreme delays launching and stopping EC2 instances (billing implications, you are billed for each hour or partial hour that an instance is running)
- Cause: "A networking event early this morning triggered a large amount of re-mirroring of EBS volumes in US-EAST-1. This re-mirroring created a shortage of capacity in one of the US-EAST-1 Availability Zones"
- Issues have been ongoing for more than 12 hours
- Amazon has no direct support for users, outside some extremely large consumers who pay extra for professional services
- Does amazon have an SLA?
- Effecting other services such a Relational Database Service
- Last issue was March 17th when a router suffered a partial failure and nearby routes did not detect the issue and kick in to failover
Amazon servers take down Reddit, Foursquare, and more
Amazon's Cloud Crashed Overnight, And Brought Several Other Companies Down Too
Amazon Outage Shows Limits of Failover 'Zones'
Topic: How HBGary wrote backdoors for the government
HBGary's engineering team working with defence contractor General Dynamics (5th largest defense contractor in the world, used to make the F-16) was tasked with creating malware and/or root kits that could surreptitiously infect a computer via USB, Firewire, PCMCIA, or Wifi. The end goal being that an operative could infect a computer from near by, or with only brief physical access to the machine. Like is a spy movie, just walk up to the laptop, plug in the usb, wait a few seconds, remove it, walk away, instantly owned. This was 'Task B'. Later, 'Task C' involved exploiting the preview pain in MS Outlook with a specially crafted email.
HBGary claimed to have unreported 0-day exploits for:
- VMWare ESX/ESXi
- Java
- Flash
- Windows 2k3
- Solaris 10
Topic: RSA Servers hacked, SecurID suffers reduced security
RSA confirmed on Friday that the attack that compromised the company's high-value SecurID product was essentially a small, targeted phishing campaign that included a payload of a malicious Flash object embedded in an Excel file.
- Malware payload sent to groups of employees at RSA
- At least one employee retrieved the email from their spam folder and opened it
- The spreadsheet contained a zero-day exploit that installs a backdoor through an Adobe Flash vulnerability (CVE-2011-0609)
- Used the Poison Ivy remote administration tool
- Collected the data on an RSA staging server using stolen credentials and privilege escalation
- Attacker then transfered the data (password protected rar files) via FTP to an external compromised dedicated server at a hosting provider. Then the files were removed from the staging server and the compromised external server
Open Letter to RSA Customers
RSA Breached: SecurID Affected
RSA: SecurID Attack Was Phishing Via an Excel Spreadsheet
facebook followup: http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/04/19/2322248/Facebooks-Server-Room-Penthouse-Cooling-Caught-On-Video
dropbox followup:
It turns out that Dropbox claims in one place that encrypted data makes it impossible for employees to see into user files (making it sound as if files are encrypted separately to each users key), but in another says that they're only 'prohibited' from doing so. (because dropbox uses a single key that they control for all encryption, making it mostly worthless)


text:
Maximize research impact post-publication
Raise visibility, share research and maximize article influence. Find out more about this service.
Use the For Authors section to find information on all aspects of writing. Get practical tips and guidance on how to get your – or your students' – work published and maximize dissemination.
Hear what editors themselves look for in papers, contact experienced copy editors to help improve your paper, or read our extensive "How to ..." guides.
Book authors: see also our books section.
Emerald's philosophy concerning impact of research is explained. Discover what Emerald means by impact, how Emerald measures impact and what impact information Emerald provides, as well as links to further information sources.
If you are researching, teaching or consulting in management, or are yourself a manager with something to say, we aim to be your publisher of choice. Discover the benefits and opportunities in our Writing for Emerald section.
Emerald's author services platform offers an author services platform providing editorial support (including language editing and translation, visuals, and consulting) to help academics get their research submission-ready.
Find out who has won one of our prestigious Emerald Literati Network awards. These awards recognize the efforts of authors and editors and celebrate the outstanding contributions many have made, not only to our journals, but to the body of knowledge itself.
Emerald's Guide to Getting Published is a unique initiative – advice on how to get published direct from the publisher. Why not host a presentation at your institution?
A comprehensive set of "How to..." guides for authors – advice direct from the publisher on planning, writing and revising an article, by yourself or with others, to maximize its chance of acceptance by your chosen journal.
What are, and what will be, the hot topics in your interest areas? What criteria do editors and reviewers use to select papers? How could you increase your chances of publication? Find out by hearing what our editors have to say.
Emerald now offers a new service for authors who have received direct funding for their research, which makes their published article Open Access immediately on publication. Read this section for more information.
Emerald journal editors are members of and subscribe to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics. See more in our
Publication Ethics guidelines.


text:
Storage jar, 2.5 l, 85 oz
Plus shipping See details
Free Delivery over €50.00
30 Days Return Policy
Storing food must be done carefully and in jars made of natural material. BODUM makes a storage jar of borosilicate glass with a wood or cork lid.
BODUM's traditional borosilicate glass contains no lead and has a brilliance like no other industrial manufactured glass. The ultimate storage jar, absorbs no aromas, and once cleaned in the dishwasher all scents of an earlier stored tea, coffee, or herb will disappear. At BODUM a jar is not just a jar... but common sense and practical knowledge. They will look beautiful for a lifetime (even if you have scratched off your handwritten label a couple hundred times). In many ways, only BODUM storage jars stand a lot of changes.
YOHKI is also available with a stainless steel or plastic lid. The jar is sealed with a thin removable silicon gasket to keep it shut tight for safe storage.
- Item Number 8700-143B
- Color Milk white
- Capacity 2.5 L
- Width (cm) 12.0
- Height (cm) 29.0
- Depth (cm) 12.0
- Design Line YOHKI
- Material Plastic, borosilicate glass


text:
MONROE — Unfamiliar sounds — rich, precise and uplifting — filled the remodeled chapel at the Washington State Reformatory.
Soothing strains radiated around 70 inmates in their identical prison-issued garb.
Some closed their eyes, their expressions rapt. Others leaned forward, almost out of their seats, transfixed.
On stage, musicians from the Seattle Symphony also were lost in the moment. Their bodies gently swayed as bows sailed across strings. Their passion showed, even beneath the magnifying glass of corrections officers and security cameras trained on their audience. As one violinist joked, this was not the kind of captive audience they are used to.
"I don't know what any of these people have done to end up in jail, but when I'm performing for them, I feel a kinship," said Steve Bryant, a violinist with the Seattle Symphony.
Bryant was at the prison performing with the Seattle Symphony's Community Connections program through a partnership with the Washington State Library.
"It's a powerful experience to share this music — this great music, Beethoven, Mozart and all the others — with prisoners," said Bryant. An hour-long workshop preceded the performance, pulling the offenders out of their chairs to sing, clap rhythms and improvise melodies.
"I especially like bringing music to people who don't get it all the time," said Amy Rubin, the composer, pianist and educator leading the workshop.
Atop a piano bench, getting a boost from a thick book borrowed from the prison chapel, Rubin's slight frame belied the fearlessness and zeal she brought to her performance. Whether hammering out Gershwin on the piano or moving through the room bringing prisoners to their feet to sing a round or stomp a beat, Rubin engaged the gathering with determined energy.
"We are privileged to reach out to people who don't normally get what we have to offer, and to bring that to them, and to make a difference," said Rubin, who on a prior visit to the prison had performed a smaller workshop in a classroom.
This time, the addition of more musicians and a high level of interest among inmates meant more space was needed.
The best option was the prison chapel, a building closed for more than a year after corrections officer Jayme Biendl was killed by an inmate Jan. 29, 2011. Byron Scherf was convicted of murder in 2013 and is on death row.
On this evening three years later, the chapel brimmed with renewal and sonorous goodwill.
At the end of the performance the musicians fielded inmate questions ranging from "Is this your first time in a prison?" — a 'yes' for most of the symphony members — to "What's the difference between a violin and a fiddle?" That answer came musically in some fiery fiddling from Bryant's violin. In short, the instrument is the same, only the execution is different.
Music is a powerful force in Bryant's life, and he wants to use it to relate to others. "I could be in jail. I could have gotten caught doing something illegal or made a bad choice. I look at them as myself — you know, there isn't so much difference."
The evening was about making a connection between professional musicians and convicts serving time for many different crimes, including theft, assault and sex offenses.
"If you looked at their faces, they were illuminated, and they were entranced and delighted," Rubin said.
He would get no argument from Lydia Katz, who has been locked up at the reformatory since January 2013 for a sex crime in King County.
"This has been a beautiful night. We don't get a lot of solid music in here," Katz said. "This is the first bit of live music I've been able to see in months. It's the most music consecutively I've been able to hear in a year."
As the quartet played a piece by Beethoven, Katz's eyes closed as he traced the notes through the air with his hands. He knew the piece from recordings, but hearing it played live was different.
"It was truly a blessing," he said.
Mark Mulligan: 425-339-3462, firstname.lastname@example.com
Talk to us
- You can tell us about news and ask us about our journalism by emailing email@example.com or by calling 425-339-3428.
- If you have an opinion you wish to share for publication, send a letter to the editor to firstname.lastname@example.com or by regular mail to The Daily Herald, Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
- More contact information is here.


text:
Most of the genalogy links below are pre-programmed with the surname SAINT-SAENS.
We hope you will find this feature useful for your research.
We hope you will find this feature useful for your research.
- Where can you find the name SAINT-SAENS in the United States?
Ancestry.com – Overview and Geographical Distribution (SAINT-SAENS)
Ancestry.com – Births, Marriages & Death (SAINT-SAENS ancestors in the US)
Ancestry.com – Social Security Death Index (date of birth and death of possible US ancestors)
Ancestry.com – Census Information (useful to view US surname distribution)
Ancestry.com – Message Board (check message board for SAINT-SAENS and scroll to the end)
- Rootsweb.com (search this comprehensive database for SAINT-SAENS)
- GenealogyBank.com – Births, Marriages & Death for SAINT-SAENS
FamilySearch.com (search the Mormon genealogical database for SAINT-SAENS – wait for the page to load!)
- SurnameWeb.com (one of the largest surname databases on the Web)
- Genealogy.com (census information for SAINT-SAENS)
- FindAGrave.com (find the burial place of people with the surname SAINT-SAENS)
- GENUKI – UK and Ireland (invaluable guide to family research in the UK)


text:
VPN 24 – Internet Proxy & Hotspot Shield
– Private and Secure Browsing.
– Wi-Fi Security at Public Hotspots.
– Many Locations Available.
– No User Logs Saved.
– Unparalleled VPN Performance.
What is VPN ?
A virtual private network, or VPN, is an encrypted connection over the Internet from a device to a network. The encrypted connection helps ensure that sensitive data is safely transmitted. It prevents unauthorized people from eavesdropping on the traffic and allows the user to surf securly and anonymously.
Visit http://www.vpn24.io/support.html or contact us at email@example.com
Terms of Service:
Privacy Policy:
Upgrade to Premium version and get access to all servers and remove ads!
* Choose from 2 subscription options:
– a monthly subscription (which comes with a 7-day free trial) for $4.99 USD;
– an annual subscription for $29.99 USD.
* Your free trial subscription will automatically renew to a paid subscription unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the free trial period.
* Please note: any unused portion of a free trial period (if offered) will be forfeited when you purchase a premium subscription during the free trial period.
* You can cancel a free trial or subscription anytime by turning off auto-renewal through your iTunes account settings. This must be done 24 hours before the end of a free trial or subscription period to avoid being charged. The cancellation will take effect the day after the last day of the current subscription period, and you will be downgraded to the free service.
VPN 24 Terms & Conditions: http://www.vpn24.io/terms-of-service.html
VPN 24 Privacy Policy: http://www.vpn24.io/privacy-policy.html


text:
Illegal immigration in the U.S. has reached a boiling point. While a struggling economy has decreased the level of illegal immigration into the U.S., it has also been a catalyst for a wave of anti-immigration sentiment. Congress is in the midst of a heated debate regarding how to handle illegal immigration with Democrats and liberals advocating an approach that equitably deals with the 12 million illegal immigrants already residing in the U.S. and Republicans and conservatives pushing for tougher enforcement and tactics designed to keep illegal immigrants out. In an effort to satisfy both parties, the Obama administration has thrown its support behind legislation such as the DREAM Act while concurrently doubling manpower and financing to the U.S.-Mexico border and approving an increase in worksite investigations. These methods have resulted in a record number of illegal immigrant apprehensions and deportations. Here are some statistics concerning apprehensions and deportations.
• Since taking office, the Obama administration has seen the deportation of almost 800,000 illegal immigrants. This is a new record.
• Since the beginning of fiscal year 2011, 88,497 illegal aliens have been deported to the Caribbean and Latin America alone.
• Since the beginning of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Secure Communities program, in which only "serious criminals" were to be deported, 101,000 illegal aliens have been deported as a direct result of the program. 32 percent of them had no criminal record.
• Between October 2010 and April 2011, 215,900 illegal aliens have been deported. 109,700 were convicted criminals of which 585 were convicted of homicide, 3,177 were convicted sex offenders, and 24,593 were convicted of drug-related crimes.
• The U.S. Border Patrol estimates that only one out of four illegal immigrants is caught at the border.
• In fiscal year 2010, 30,729 illegal immigrants were apprehended at California-Mexico border checkpoints.
• At border checkpoints in all states bordering Mexico (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), 463,382 illegal immigrants were apprehended in fiscal year 2010. Only 59,017 were not Mexican nationals. 18,406 were Guatemalan nationals, 13,723 were from El Salvador, and 13,580 were from Honduras.
• In fiscal year 2010, Border agents apprehended 663 "Aliens from Special Interest Countries." These countries have suspected ties to terrorist organizations.
• Many apprehended illegal immigrants were from the U.S. Department of State's country list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism." 712 apprehensions were Cuban nationals, 14 were Iranian nationals, 5 were Syrians, and 5 were Sudanese. Also, from "special interest countries, " 9 apprehensions were Somali nationals, 9 were from Afghanistan, 37 were from Pakistan, 5 were from Saudi Arabia, and 11 were from Yemen.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) estimates that only 43 percent of the 1,969 mile-long U.S.-Mexico border is under "operational control."
• At least 12 million illegal immigrants currently reside in the U.S. It is logistically impossible and expensive to deport them all.
The debate is indeed tricky. By all accounts, U.S. immigration agencies are working hard to do their jobs but under no circumstances will illegal immigration be completely stopped—that is until the U.S. becomes an undesirable place to live. A two-fold approach that offers some pathway to legality for the illegal immigrants in the U.S. and commits to border security and enforcement is likely the only way to deal with this issue. Comprehensive immigration reform is currently being proposed in the U.S. Senate, but provisions offering "amnesty" to the illegal immigrants living in the U.S. will make it a tough sell to Republicans even though the bill includes measures for more border security and tougher enforcement.


text:
DailyDirt: Making Artificial People Look Less Creepy...
from the urls-we-dig-up deptIf we're going to have armies of robot servants, we probably shouldn't make them look like scary terminator exoskeletons or creepy rubber-skinned mannequins. It's actually not that easy to avoid the uncanny valley, but that difficulty isn't going to prevent folks from trying to create ever more life-like (yet fake) people. Here are just a few links pointing to some cool projects to design our artificial replacements.
- In about ten years, computer-generated images (rendered in real time) might be nearly indistinguishable from live action video. This CGI prediction comes from an employee at Industrial Light & Magic -- but will the uncanny valley really disappear over the next few years? [url]
- Disney Research is working on ways to make robots behave in a more human-like way, and one of the actions they've figured out is a hand-off between a robot and a human. If a robot blindly sticks its arm out and a person has to place an object into a mechanical hand, the interaction feels very unnatural. But if the robot anticipates the hand-off with some trained gestures, the transfer won't be as off-putting. [url]
- Disney is also working on robots that can be 3D printed quickly and operate with just one motor instead of using more complicated mechatronics. The robots are limited to cyclical motions, but it's still quite impressive how natural the movements can be when a few gears are appropriately positioned to generate animated actions. [url]
Filed Under: animation, cgi, creepy, gesture, graphics, mechanical hand, mechatronics, robot, uncanny valley
Companies: disney, ilm


text:
Effective Date: 3/1/2012
(a) Definition; Form. "Judgment" as used in these rules includes a decree and any order from which an appeal lies. A judgment should not include recitals of pleadings, a master's report, or a record of prior proceedings.
(b) Judgment on Multiple Claims or Involving Multiple Parties.If an action presents more than one claim for relief, whether as a claim, counterclaim, crossclaim, or third-party claim, or if multiple parties are involved, the court may direct entry of a final judgment as to one or more, but fewer than all, claims or parties only if the court expressly determines that there is no just reason for delay. Otherwise, any order or other decision, however designated, that adjudicates fewer than all the claims or the rights and liabilities of fewer than all the parties does not end the action as to any of the claims or parties and may be revised at any time before the entry of a judgment adjudicating all the claims and all the parties' rights and liabilities.
(c) Demand for Judgment; Relief to be Granted. A default judgment must not differ in kind from, or exceed in amount, what is demanded in the pleadings. Every other final judgment should grant the relief to which each party is entitled, even if the party has not demanded that relief in its pleadings.
(d) Death Before Judgment. If a party dies after a verdict or decision on any issue of fact and before judgment, the court may still render judgment. That judgment is not a lien on the real property of the deceased party, but is payable as provided in N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-19.
(e) Costs; Objections; Attorneys' Fees.
(1) Costs Other than Attorneys' Fees. Costs and disbursements must be allowed as provided by statute. A party awarded costs and disbursements must submit a detailed, verified statement to the clerk. Upon receipt of the statement, the clerk must allow those costs and disbursements and insert them in the judgment. A copy of the statement must accompany the notice of entry of judgment.
(2) Objections to Costs. Objections must be served and filed with the clerk within 14 days after notice of entry of judgment or within a longer time fixed by court order within the 14 days. The grounds for objections must be specified. If objections are filed, the clerk must promptly submit them to the judge who ordered the judgment. The court by ex parte order must fix a time for hearing the objections. Unless otherwise directed by the court, the parties may waive the right to a hearing and submit written argument instead within a time specified by the court.
(3) Attorneys' Fees. A claim for attorneys' fees and related nontaxable expenses not determined by the judgment must be made by motion. The motion must be served and filed within 21 days after notice of entry of judgment. The trial court may decide the motion even after an appeal is filed.
Rule 54 was amended, effective January 1, 1980; September 1, 1983; March 1, 1990; March 1, 1997; March 1, 1998; March 1, 2011; March 1, 2012.
Under subdivision (b), entry of a final judgment adjudicating fewer than all of the claims of all of the parties is permitted only in the infrequent harsh case involving unusual circumstances where failure to allow an immediate appeal would create demonstrated prejudice or hardship. The party requesting entry of judgment under subdivision (b) carries the burden of establishing that unusual and compelling or out-of-the-ordinary circumstances exist and that prejudice or hardship will result if entry of judgment is denied. The district court must weigh the overall policy prohibiting piecemeal appeals against the exigencies of the case and must delineate the unusual or compelling circumstances justifying order of entry of judgment. If the district court does not enter judgment under Rule 54(b), a partial summary judgment adjudicating fewer than all of the claims of all of the parties is not a final judgment and is not immediately appealable. A party seeking to appeal must wait until the end of the case, when all claims have been resolved and final judgment has been entered, before filing an appeal.
Paragraph (e)(2) was amended, effective March 1, 2011, to increase the time to object to costs from 7 to 14 days after notice of entry of judgment.
Paragraph (e)(3) was amended, effective March 1, 2011, to increase the time to make a claim for attorneys' fees from 15 to 21 days after notice of entry of judgment.
Rule 54 was amended, effective March 1, 2011, in response to the December 1, 2007, revision of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The language and organization of the rule were changed to make the rule more easily understood and to make style and terminology consistent throughout the rules.
SOURCES: Joint Procedure Committee Minutes of April 28-29, 2011, page 13; April 29-30, 2010, page 14; September 24-25, 2009, page 23; January 30, 1997, page 8; January 25-26, 1996, pages 7-10; September 28-29, 1995, page 18; April 20, 1989, page 2; December 3, 1987, page 11; November 29, 1984, page 18; September 30-October 1, 1982, pages 1-3; November 29-30, 1979, page 14; April 26-27, 1979, pages 19-20; Fed.R.Civ.P. 54.
CROSS REFERENCE: Rules 8 (General Rules of Pleadings), 52 (Findings By the Court), 58 (Entry of Judgment), 59 (New Trials-Amendment of Judgments) and 77 (District Courts and Clerks), N.D.R.Civ.P.; Rule 3 (Appeal as of Right-How Taken), N.D.R.App.P.. See also, Rules 20 (Permissive Joinder of Parties) and 21 (Misjoinder and Non-Joinder of Parties), N.D.R.Civ.P..


text:
(via GrindTV)
(Also on Sb)
AussieMike says
Looks like a sex toy.
…I mean wow what a pretty creature.
lofty says
Is that the fabled sniny squid? Cool!
StevoR says
Opalescent? Iridescent? Translucent?
Beautiful for sure anyhow! Thanks.
johnm55 says
It would make a good pike lure
Dhorvath, OM says
So green! What a lovely fade, makes me want to swim forever. What? Squid? There is an animal in this photo? I miss out again.
LRA says
Oooh! So pretty! :D
(Like other primates, I like shiny things!)
Glen Davidson says
Looks like a magnificent, glistening slug.
Or anyway, slug dreams probably have them doing heroic deeds looking like that.
Monado, FCD says
The wedding squid!
Monado, FCD says
The silver ghost?
Patrick Smythe, Calm No More says
Reminiscent of this piece of Australian technology – a silvery rocket car IN THE SHAPE OF A SQUID designed to break the land speed record.
RMIT is a most reputable engineering/aerospace university, so there must be something vaguely legitimate about this.


text:
It's a soggy/foggy weekend
Locally heavy rains could fall Saturday and Sunday
Thanks for being with us on wisn.com! Not one of our better March weekends with rain and fog through Sunday.
Low pressure approaches from the Plains today bringing a chance for a few showers this morning before the rain becomes steadier late afternoon. Highs will push to near 40 on southeast winds 10-20. If you're headed to the St. Pat's Parade today, pack a small umbrella just to be safe. It looks like we should have a couple of dry hours by midday. The parade starts at noon.
Locally heavy rain is likely overnight as lows hold in the mid to upper 30s. Widespread fog will develop tonight and linger into Sunday. A few dry hours for Sunday morning before rain becomes steadier again Sunday afternoon and evening.
Colder air sweeps in later Sunday night and any lingering moisture will change to snow. Snow showers persist Monday morning and minor accumulations are expected.
Don't forget to send us your weather photos to ulocal. tap the ulocal button in our iphone or android apps, or email to firstname.lastname@example.com. We'd also like to hear about your rain totals and if you're experiencing any urban flooding related to rain and snow melt.


text:
NEW YORK (AP) - Badgley Mischka sent sparkly gold gowns and floral blue brocades down the runway Tuesday with warm fur hats and cozy tweeds in a mix of red carpet dazzle and clothes for everyday wear.
NEW YORK (AP) � Badgley Mischka sent sparkly gold gowns and floral blue brocades down the runway Tuesday with warm fur hats and cozy tweeds in a mix of red carpet dazzle and clothes for everyday wear.
The design team of Mark Badgley and James Mischka used chunky gold jewels on cuffs and even a pair of leather gloves, also offering their sophisticated woman unadorned nubby knits and loose satin trousers that rippled down the runway at New York Fashion Week.
Pairing gold sequins and beading with black gave a majestic air to gowns in heavy fabrics, but also lighter, more sheer looks, like a skirt that fell just under the knee.
Katrina Bowden of "30 Rock" admires how some Badgley Mischka designs come to life when worn.
"They make such beautiful dresses that have really lovely shapes for women, and they also make some really cool edgy styles as well, and also some very normal wearable styles," said the actress, who attended the show.
Badgley and Mischka joined forces 25 years ago and are darlings on the red carpet, growing their business to shoes, handbags and jewelry.
Badgley said backstage that the two love the variety of women they dress, including the "new young ing�nue that's completely hysterical and doesn't know what she wants to look like."
While the two are "constantly inspired by our friends," Mischka said, their latest collection is the product of a heavy "Viennese inspiration" in fabrics, color and luxury.
"Everything has a little guilt touch to it. We gold washed the fabrics, we took tweeds and bronzed them. The evening gowns all have, they're weightless, they weigh just literally ounces but the fabrics are extremely rich and opulent," Badgley said.
A silk brocade, for instance, was done in Italy and is light as a feather, "but we cut big voluminous shapes in it," he said. "We usually do things close to the body, but our fabrics were so light this season, it allowed us to cut big flowey silhouettes with a lot of sweep, which was fun for a change."
Guiliana Rancic, who was on the front row and has hosted many a live red carpets � long with "Fashion Police" on E! Entertainment Network, noticed the light and airy nature of the collection.
"They had heard from a lot of women that they were so uncomfortable wearing these gowns to dinner parties or events and so they wanted to make them as comfortable as possible," she said.
Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie
Gina Abdy contributed to this report.


text:
Uses: Mage Wizard Caster Sorcerer warlock
Equipment: Magical spells wand charm
100% Lead Free Pewter. A miniature for dungeon-crawling RPGs and 28mm tabletop wargames.
- 100% Lead Free Pewter
- Base tab on the miniature may be smaller than the slot in the provided base some filling may be required.
- 20mm Slotted Round Plastic Base Included
- Miniatures Come Unassembled & Unpainted
- Choking Hazard - Not Suitable for Children 10 & Under


text:
More than half of people don't have a will, and many others have a will they have failed to update, according to research by Royal London.
Out of 2,006 adults surveyed, 54% admitted they don't have a will, and 59% of parents either don't have a will or have one that's out of date.
Around 53% of people had not updated their will, despite around three in ten (31%) having experienced a significant life event since they made it.
Many are unaware that getting married or entering into a civil partnership will cancel any previously existing wills.
Mona Patel, consumer spokesperson for Royal London, said:
"Once you have a will, you should update it after any significant life events that could affect your financial situation, such as getting married, divorced or starting a family.
"Taking these important steps allows you to have peace of mind knowing that when you're gone your wishes will be met."
While using a solicitor remains the most popular way of writing a will, we can also help with drawing up a will as part of our estate planning service.
Most of the survey respondents who had written a will described the process as "quick" (85%) and "easy" (90%).
Contact us to discuss your will.


text: A needle biopsy is performed under local anesthesia. Simple aspirations are performed with a small gauge needle to attempt to draw fluid from lumps that are thought to be cysts. Fine needle biopsy uses a larger needle to make multiple passes through a lump, drawing out tissue and fluid. Withdrawn fluid and tissue is further evaluated to determine if there are cancerous cells present.


text:
I have a test box in my InfoPath form which is set to open in a browser. The value of the textbox is set to the username() formula.
When I create a new form, the username() formula evaluates to the logged in user's username, but the textbox is blank when an existing form is opened. This is fine, but should I expect the same behavior when the formula username() is used in a conditional statement?


text:
Cryolipolysis Prices Avonmouth
When it comes to choosing the company for undergoing cryolipolisis Avonmouth, people will obviously look at the rate that the company demands for the procedure.
October 2020 LipoFreeze2u Cryolipolysis Offer Prices Avonmouth
The price of the cryolipolysis treatment Avonmouth will vary from one company to another company and according to the treatment methods and experts in the company. If you want cryolipolysis treatment performed by experts at a reasonable cost, all you have to do is to choose Lipo Freeze 2U Avonmouth.
We can offer the best ever treatment at your service. We'll provide you the treatment what you want to get. The best part of choosing Lipo Freeze 2 U is that, you can save something on your treatment. The cost of the cryolipolysis treatment Avonmouth will vary from one type of package to another package.
All you should do is to explore different packages and choose the package that comes within your budget. Every cryolipolysis treatment starts from as little as £180.00 including the consultation cost, pre and post treatment and more. It is not a bad idea to spend this much money for the painless and result-oriented treatment – right?
Single person single session treatment
We offer further discounts for multiple persons and multiple session treatments. Plus we discount for mixed cryolipolysis and HIFU treatments.
All our treatment practitioners are experts, so you do not have to worry about the quality of the results you are going to experience either sooner or later after the treatment.
You have to spend for two or more treatments according to the prescription of our treatment experts.
No matter how much you spend, but the money you spent for your treatment will do justice to your treatment and provide the best results to you with no doubts.
We would say that, it is not that bad spending something for getting the best ever look. Yes, spending for the cryolipolysis weight loss treatment Avonmouth will burn all your fats and provide you the brand new structure.
You can experience the results in a quick time and you can find yourself better in your outlook. Healthier life style, changes in food habits are possible with undergoing the cryolipolysis weight loss treatment Avonmouth and hence you can achieve the best looks for your life time.
If it is needed to be, you can talk to our experts with respect to the prices of the cryolipolysis weight loss treatment Avonmouth ahead choosing our company.


text:
(Santa Fe, NM and San Diego, CA – Nov 16, 2011) Loaded Precision Products has announced that Santa Fe, NM wholesaler Bicycle Technologies International will be the company's first distribution partner. BTI is now stocking a large representation of the San Diego, CA based company's line of headsets, stems, seatposts, binder clamps, handlebars, grips, pedals, hubs, rims, skewers and complete wheelsets.
After three years developing the current selection of road and mountain components, Loaded reached out to BTI to expand its US dealer network. According to BTI Vice President Preston Martin, "For a relative newcomer to the industry, Loaded has covered all the bases. From a diverse selection of high quality machined products at competitive prices, to a strong marketing approach and a reliable supply chain, this will be a brand to watch in 2012."
Loaded has developed a growing presence in the Mountain Bike component market- working with advertising partners such as PinkBike.com, MTBR.com,and VitalMTB.com to promote the brand. For a young company Loaded has received an impressive number of favorable reviews from Mountain Bike Action, Dirt Rag, VitalMTB.com, SingleTracks.com, and Decline magazines. The brand sponsors a wide variety of veteran racers such as World Cup Downhill Pro Jack Reading (West Yorkshire, UK), Slopestyle Pro Ian Killick (Kamloops, BC), Slopestyle Pro James Visser (Ramona, CA), National Downhill Pro Andre Pepin (San Diego, CA), Randy Spangler (Brand Ambassador) as well as National Based US Downhill Team Rocky Mountain East (VT). Loaded also backs major events such as Park City Point to Point, Crankworks Colorado, Sea Otter Classic, Kokanee Crankworks and the highly anticipated 2012 US National series.
Combined with a strong presence at many grass-roots oriented events as well as many international trade shows, Loaded is committed to not only increasing brand awareness, but also giving back to the cycling community. Anthony Thomas of Loaded says "This brand is my passion; I love the life that cycling has provide me, and part of my drive in Loaded is to see our brand gain presence in new markets. I speak on everyone's behalf here at Loaded when I say we are grateful to work with a distributor like BTI, and eager to see our efforts materialize over the 2012 season."
For more information, search www.loadedusa.com or www.bti-usa.com or call BTI at 800-558-8324
Source: Bill Lane


text:
Previous media releases
UBS study: «Prices and Earnings» 2009
An international comparison of purchasing power in 73 cities around the globe
Oslo, Copenhagen, Zurich and Geneva named the most expensive cities; wages highest in Switzerland, Denmark and the US
Oslo, Copenhagen, Zurich, Geneva and Tokyo are the world's priciest cities
Employees in Zurich and Geneva have the highest net wages in the world
People in Cairo and Seoul work the longest - roughly 600 hours more per year than their peers in Western Europe
Crisis-driven currency fluctuations cause shifts in the rankings
UBS's "Prices and Earnings" study has dubbed Oslo, Zurich, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo and New York as the world's most expensive cities based on a standardized basket of 122 goods and services. When rent prices are factored into the equation, New York, Oslo, Geneva and Tokyo emerge as especially pricey places to live. The basket costs the least in Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Delhi and Mumbai. The study was based on data collected in 73 cities around the world between March and April of this year.
Earnings highest in Switzerland, Denmark and the US
The survey of 73 international cities found that employees in Copenhagen, Zurich, Geneva and New York have the highest gross wages. Zurich and Geneva - the two Swiss cities in the study - top the rankings in the international comparison of net wages. By contrast, the average employee in Delhi, Manila, Jakarta and Mumbai earns less than one-fifteenth of Swiss hourly wages after taxes.
Zurich and New York: nine hours of work for an iPod nano
One vivid way to illustrate the relative purchasing power of wages is to replace the abstract basket of goods and services with a specific, highly uniform product that is available everywhere with the same quality, and then calculate how long an employee would have to work to be able to afford it in each city. The study determined that employees have to work a global average of 37 minutes to earn enough to pay for a Big Mac, 22 minutes for a kilo of rice and 25 minutes for a kilo of bread. For the first time, a non-food product was used in the study to compare working hours.
The iPod nano with 8 GB of storage is an ideal example of a globally uniform product. An average wage-earner in Zurich and New York can buy a nano from an Apple store after nine hours of work. At the other end of the spectrum, workers in Mumbai, need to work 20 nine-hour days - roughly the equivalent of one month's salary - to purchase an iPod nano.
Long working hours in the Middle East and Asia - shortest in France
People work an average of 1,902 hours per year in the surveyed cities but they work much longer in Asian and Middle Eastern cities, averaging 2,119 and 2,063 hours per year respectively. Overall, the most hours are worked in Cairo (2,373 hours per year), followed by Seoul (2,312 hours). People in Lyon and Paris, by contrast, spend the least amount of time at work according to the global comparison: 1,582 and 1,594 hours per year respectively.
A dollar earned in the US is worth more after deducting taxes and social security contributions than in neighboring Canada. While the basket of 122 goods and services is somewhat cheaper in Montreal and Toronto, the net hourly wage in these Canadian cities is also lower than in the surveyed US cities of New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago.
In no other continent is the price spread between the most expensive and the cheapest city as wide as in Asia. While Tokyo ranks as one of the world's five costliest cities, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Delhi and Mumbai are all at the bottom of the price range. Workers in Tokyo earn the highest wages in Asia. Likewise, consumers in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Taipei have the greatest purchasing power in the continent. Sydney ranks among the top ten cities in the international comparison.
Prices in Eastern and Western Europe have converged very little despite the EU's enlargement in 2004 and Slovenia's adoption of the euro as its official currency in January 2007 and Slovakia's in January of this year. A basket of 95 goods and 27 services was roughly 35% cheaper in the cities of Eastern European EU member states than in Western European metropolises. As a comparison, UBS's 2006 study found that the price differential between Eastern and Western Europe was around 38%. On average, workers in Western European cities receive gross wages more than three times higher than their colleagues in Eastern Europe. The lowest incomes are paid in Bulgaria (Sofia) and Romania (Bucharest). The wage level in these two countries, which joined the European Union in January 2007, is comparable to that of Colombia or Thailand.
London, the second most expensive city in the 2006 review, plummeted nearly twenty places following the pound's precipitous devaluation in March and April 2009 when the data was collected, landing in the middle in terms of Western European countries. During this time the GBP reached a low point of roughly 1.40 against the USD from which it recently appreciated to around 1.70. This rebound in the GBP exchange rate increased London's price level by 21% in USD terms, which would lift London from twenty-first to fifth in our global price ranking.
Rail travel is most expensive in the United Kingdom and Germany. A second-class, one-way ticket for a 200 km rail journey in Germany (average price: EUR 51.40 or USD 67.20) costs approximately 1.5 times as much as in the rest of Western Europe. Only the United Kingdom is more expensive. In London, passengers have to be willing to pay EUR 68.20 (USD 89.10) - double the fare charged in other Western European cities.
Residents of Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland pay around 20% more on average for products, services and accommodation than people in other Western European cities. With its extremely high gross wages and comparatively low tax rates, Switzerland is a very employee-friendly country. No other city allows workers to take home more income at the end of the month than Zurich and Geneva. Average gross hourly wages (before taxes and social security contributions) can purchase the most in Copenhagen, Zurich and Geneva. Bringing up the tail are Jakarta, Manila, Mumbai and Nairobi, where average gross hourly wages have between 11% and 15% of the purchasing power of a salary in Zurich. The basket of 39 food products is the priciest in Tokyo. Food prices are only marginally lower in Switzerland: Zurich occupies second place, Geneva third. Food prices in Switzerland are around 45% more expensive than the average in the rest of Western Europe.
UBS's "Prices and Earnings" studies can be downloaded at the following Internet address: www.ubs.com/research
Mike Ryan, Head Wealth Management Research Americas
UBS Wealth Management Research Tel. +1-212-713 4671
Yonghao Pu, Head Wealth Management Research Asia Pacific
UBS Wealth Management Research Tel. +852-2971 8693
Europe and Switzerland
Andreas Höfert, Chief Economist
UBS Wealth Management Research Tel. +41-44-234 6796
Daniel Kalt, Head Economic Research
UBS Wealth Management Research Tel. +41-44-234 2560


text:
Tenure is a topic that has produced much heated discussion in recent years. Some argue that tenure is an outmoded concept, and if institutions are going to remain competitive, they need to be able to have more flexibility to hire and fire faculty as student needs change. Others argue that tenure is vital to the protection of academic freedom and that without tenure we will return to the days when faculty were dismissed for teaching unpopular opinions. Several state legislatures have mandated post-tenure review for faculty, including Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and Arkansas. New campuses have been created in Florida and California that do not have faculty tenure.
In addition to the arguments about tenure, institutions have not been filling tenure-track positions as faculty retire or resign to take another position. Instead we are seeing an increase in the numbers of faculty hired on limited term contracts of five years or less and an increase in the number of part-time temporary faculty hired.
The NEA Higher Education website has pulled together resources on this important topic. NEA has a strong policy in favor of tenure. Thought and Action, NEA's referred journal for higher education, has several articles on tenure.
- Lessons from a Five-Year Diet of Tenure Lite (, 133KB, 9pp)
- Thought & Action, Fall 2002
- Tenure (, 352KB, 8pp)
- Research Center Update, June 2001
- Tenure: Why Faculty and the Nation Need It (, 68KB, 15pp)
- Thought & Action, Fall 2000
- Public Higher Ed: Battleground in the Tenure Wars (, 58 KB, 10pp)
- Thought & Action, Fall 1997
- Tenure: Why Faculty, and the Nation, Need It (, 68KB, 16pp)
- Thought & Action, Fall 1997
- The Corrosion of Tenure: A Bibliography (,112KB, 18pp)
- Thought & Action, Fall 1997
- The Truth about Tenure in Higher Education
- This NEA-AFT online brochure deals with some of the myths about tenure and responds with the facts.
- "Tenure" September 1995 (, 81KB, 6pp)
- In the Update we report on the numbers and productivity of tenured faculty.
- Faculty Tenure: Myth and Reality (, 87KB, 16pp)
- Thought & Action, Spring 1996
- Faculty Perspectives on Peer Review (, 92 KB, 21pp)
- Thought & Action, Fall 1995
- Perceptions of Life on the Tenure Track (, 103KB, 29pp)
- Thought & Action, Winter 1994
- Critics of College Teaching (, 89KB, 15pp)
- The 1996 Almanac chapter by Walter Metzger, gives an historical account about attacks against higher education faculty.
- NEA's Tenure Policy


text:
Your Name
Rate This Page
Comment Title
Your Comments (10000 characters max, no HTML please)
Changed your mind? Decided not to comment right now?
Return to Maltipoo Puppy - Bellarosa.
Return to Tell Us About Your Maltipoo!.
Sep 11, 20 04:09 PM
He's the most protective dog ever. Hugs and handshakes are not allowed and you can't get anywhere near five be close to me he won't allow anyone to stand
Read More
Aug 18, 20 01:41 PM
Our former dog had the name Sir Chelsie Winston
May 21, 20 09:48 AM
I got Bella Christmas. She was born 11/8/2019. Was told she was a Maltese Pomeranian. Mother is Maltese. Still up in the air about father for he was not
Copyright © 2007-2019 Maltese Maniac | Contact Me | Maltese Dog Breed Lovers! | Privacy Policy | Legal Disclaimer
Information on this site is for educational purpose only.
It is not intended to replace the advice and treatment of a veterinarian.
This site does not take responsibility for the accuracy of suggestions, comments, opinions
and any other messages posted by visitors.


text:
The Eminent George Washington Carver
by Yussuf J. Simmonds
"The Wizard of Tuskegee"
Sunrise: 1864–Sunset: 1943
"In honor of Black History Month, the Sentinel presents on the country's foremost scientist"
George Washington Carver was born near Diamond Grove, Missouri (his exact birthdate is not known). His parents were the slaves of Moses Carver–that is where he received the name, 'Carver,' and so too was he. He was orphaned a baby–his mother was kidnapped and his father died; he never saw his mother again. He was exchanged for a racehorse, and by thirteen, he was on his own. Because he was very sickly and suffered, as a child, from whooping cough, he worked in his master's house rather than in the fields. He learned to read and write, and managed to obtain a high school education despite tremendous obstacles, and with persistence, he was admitted as the first Black student at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. From there he went on to Iowa State Agricultural College.
Young Carver showed a keen interest and a healthy attitude for growing things and for science, and he would often care for sick plants. Under his care, plants and flowers prospered, with seemingly little effort. He worked at various jobs to support himself and to pay for his education, and often experienced prejudice and hatred from Whites. In Iowa College, while he was the janitor, he earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural science in 1894, and two years later, he earned his master's degree from the same college. He would eventually become a faculty member at the same college.
His scholarship in agricultural sciences was so amazing and well known that Booker T. Washington offered him a position at the famous, yet fledging, Tuskegee Institute in 1896. He accepted and moved to Alabama. He became the director of its agricultural research facility, and persuaded many Southern farmers to plant peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other crops instead of cotton because cotton was eroding and destroying the soil. Back then, his approach to crop diversification and soil conversation was revolutionary and radical. He was one of the pioneers of the use of legumes to replace soil minerals depleted by the unchecked growing of cotton. When the Southern economy, "king cotton," was challenged by the intervention of the boll weevil, Southerners and the representatives in Congress began to look at Carver's discoveries as alternatives to the economic threat. He was summoned to Congress to report on his work. There he convinced skeptical congressmen that the South's economy need not be held hostage to production of cotton. His agricultural discoveries and their techniques, particularly the improving the land and diversifying the foundations of the South's economy were his major contribution and most impactful work.
He also made international news by making scouring powder from calcareous tripoli and siliceous tripoli. His research programs yielded 300 derivative from peanuts and about 118 from sweet potato. Carver even made synthetic marble from wood pulp.
It was his work in the field of science and agriculture that made him universally renown but he was also a painter and a musician. Tuskegee Institute installed the George Washington Carver Museum in his honor; it houses his plants, mineral and bird collections, the many products of his life's work and discoveries, his paintings and research papers. On the campus, sits the George Washington Carver Foundation, a research center founded by Carver in 1940. A historical landmark was named on Route K-96 in Ness County, Kansas that was homesteaded by Carver. He received the NAACP Springarn Medal in 1923; a Liberty ship was named and a Polaris submarine were named for him; and there are over 20 schools all over the U. S. named in his honor. A three-cent stamp and a fifty-cent coin bear Carver's head, and in 1990, he was inducted into the National Inventor's Hall of Fame.
Though he was an inventor, he never patented any of his work he did at the Tuskegee Institute. He never sought fame or fortune; he donated over $30,000 of his life savings to his foundation, and willed the rest of his financial belongings to the same organization for his work to be continued after his death. He died in his sleep in 1943 and was buried alongside another great Black American pioneer, Booker T. Washington.


text:
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates and Guidance
The County is taking a number of actions to keep residents safe and minimize the spread of COVID-19. Find status information for County operations and services.
Precinct 11 - Essex
Precinct 11 - Essex
Read news updates from Precinct 11 - Essex.
Keyword: unit block of octant way
Unable to find the requested Post
RSS FeedSubscribe
Explore Precinct 11
Find complete information on this precinct, including contact information, community announcements and more.
Revised September 28, 2016


text:
Andrew Houle, Adam Miller, and more open an art show on April 28, 2012 from 4:00 till 8:00pm!
Press Release:
On the heels of the upcoming release of our fresh and fleshy comic "ZombieBomb Presents: The New Adventures of Super Inga", the endlessly working survivors over at Team ZombieBomb! are unleashing another event! Building on this April's (21-22) Boston Comic Con, the show will feature an all-star collection of original art to be exhibited at the Gallery at Porter Mills in Beverly, MA.
A very special list of invitational artists include: Adam Miller, Haig Demarjian, Josh Morrissette, Joe Haley, Dave Ferriera, Greg Orfanos, and Michael Crockett, among hordes more of death denying contributors. ALSO! A large group of new artists previously unaffiliated with ZombieBomb! will be displaying their zombie inspired artwork in the gallery as well. Contributor Andrew Houle, series co-creator Adam Miller and gallery director Bea Modisett curate this exhibition.
Thursday, April 5th there will be a "soft opening" reception.
Then: the main event, The ZombieBombed! Artist Reception will be held Saturday, April 28th 4:00 – 8:00pm
Music for this massive undead art fest will be provided by DJ Noel Snow. ZBTV! film maker Tom Bennett will also be in house for the event, shooting footage for the next episode of ZBTV! Additionally, photographer Jesse Stansfield will have his "Photo Booth of Horrors" set up to document the night's carnage (costumes are, of course, encouraged).
Finally, there will be a meet and greet with the men and woman behind the madness- a great opportunity to talk with the creators and have them sign your favorite issue of ZB! Merchandise and refreshments will be on hand, just waiting to be devoured.
Don't miss out- this is THE zombie event of the year! Bring a friend, bring an enemy, bring a brain! BE THERE!
Find ZombieBomb! and Porter Mill on Facebook and visit studiosatportermill.blogspot.com for more information.
Studios at Porter Mill
95 Rantoul Street, Beverly, MA 01915


text:
After the Victoria's Secret Valentine Day Gift Card another new scam is brewing up on Facebook where scammers are pretending to give away free Vitoria's Secret gift card for a limited time.
The new scam is similar to the other Gift Card scams which have been doing the rounds of Facebook lately and asks users to complete a survey before they can get hold of the Victoria's Secret Gift Card. The scammers ask the users to post the page to their profile and also like the Facebook page using the Facebook like button.
However, clicking on the "Like button" on the Facebook scam page will take you to a page where the scammers will collect your email address and then collect your personal information and then ask you to complete a survey before you can get your gift card.
It is recommended that you DO NOT click on such links or scam messages on Facebook. If you come across this scam message, please delete/remove the scam from your Facebook news feed immediately. Alternately, you can report the scam to Facebook Security.
With over 800 million users on Facebook, the social networking giant has always been a main target for spreading scams. It is quite difficult to identify scams on Facebook. Here is a post on How to Identify and Avoid Facebook Scams. Bookmark Techie Buzz Facebook Scams or Subscribe to Scam Alert Feed. We always keep you updated with the latest scams spreading on Facebook.


text:
Who is a terrorist?
I've been reading a bunch of interesting takes on the question of whether Joe Stack (the guy who flew the plane into the IRS building in Texas) is a "terrorist" and whether the word has any meaning at all.
I think there's a lot of truth in Glenn Greenwald's argument that as actually used by the American media, the word has become racialized, and essentially means "a Muslim who fights against or even expresses hostility towards the United States, Israel and their allies." But I think the more interesting question is whether it is possible to set that definition aside and draw a line someplace that makes sense.
Personally, I don't think there's any question that the 9/11 perpetrators, Timothy McVeigh, the IRA bombers of the 1980s, and the Beslan murderers all qualify as terrorists.
On the "just nuts" side of the fence, I'd clearly put Amy Bishop and the Columbine murderers. In both cases, the attacks were aimed at people known to the killers, and were not politically motivated.
The government was pretty quick in the case of both Nidal Hassan (the Ft Hood murderer) and Joe Stack to reassure the public that these were "not terrorist acts," by which I think they mean "were not linked to a larger network of terrorists." By contrast, Najibullah Zazi, who just pled guilty to conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the New York City subways, is considered a terrorist, because he was recruited and trained by al-Qaida. I'm not sure I buy that distinction — which would put McVeigh on the "not terrorist" side — but at least it makes some sense and isn't purely racial.
I think I'm inclined to say if you're killing people — especially civilians — you don't know, and are politically motivated, I'm ok calling you a terrorist, even if you're acting entirely alone. That would make Stack and the Unabomber terrorists. I don't know enough about Hassan's motivation or Bruce Ivins' (the alleged anthrax killer) to say with any confidence which side they're on.
That said, I sort of agree with Jill in thinking that some actions — flying an airplane into a building, bombing a public building or public transportation — are maybe inherently terrorist, regardless of your motivation or whether you're part of a network. But my examples (Beslan on one side, Columbine on the other) suggest that other things , eg. shooting up a bunch of kids at school — are not.
What do you think? Does the distinction matter?


text:
Al Dukes, executive producer and occasional humorist singer/songwriter for the Boomer & Carton Morning Show on WFAN in New York, offers some Memorial Day weekend tips.
Tip 1: How to deal with a veggie
"There's nothing more annoying at a barbecue than a vegetarian. You have to buy special veggie burgers for them, and they look at you like you're doing something wrong enjoying a burger and hot dog.
"If you want to get back at them, make sure you cook their veggie burger on the grill in the same exact spot as the regular burgers. Some of the juices will no doubt touch their veggie burger and soak right in. So in a way they're eating meat, but only you'll know."
LISTEN: Al Dukes' Memorial Day Tips | Download
Tip 2: Don't bring anything
"If you're headed out to a barbecue this weekend, you're probably asking yourself, 'What should I bring?' The answer is, you shouldn't bring anything. You were invited to the barbecue, so they should provide everything.
"You mean to tell me they bought the burgers, the hot dogs, potato salad, soda and everything else, but you're supposed to pick up the chips? I mean, chips are like a buck a bag. Like they really couldn't afford to buy the chips if they're throwing the BBQ.
"If someone asked you to dinner, you wouldn't expect them to have you pay for the appetizers or the dessert, would you?"
Tip 3: Sunglasses, the BBQ's clutch performer
"If you're going to a barbecue this weekend, be sure to bring along a pair of sunglasses. Not to protect your eyes from the sun, but to be able to check out hot chicks in bikinis by the pool without them knowing you're staring at them.
"Now, if it's a family barbecue, forget this whole idea. Checking out your own relatives in bikinis is disgusting.
Happy Memorial Day everybody. Three-day weekend, holla!
Think you have Tip No. 4? Let 'er rip in the comments below…


text:
Lots of things are going on in these a'changing times.
Someone is no longer linked to the murder of a central Asian woman. An 'invincible' dictator and his sons suddenly find themselves not that invincible anymore. islam is making its way into the hearts and minds of people in unexpected places, like the Caucusus in addition to expected places, like Egypt (malaysia? i don't really know if we've woken up yet -.-). Capitalism is losing its popularity (i'm not making biased statements, although i acknowledge my bias. The last statements come from the Economist)
If you're reading this blog a few decades into the future, this is an inside view of the times that i'm living in. it is the year 2011, and i still have one more year at LSE, provided i get to plow through these books.
if islam has made its way into the hearts and minds of people, it hasn't materialised en masse. Yet. But i'm happy to see people get their ray of light. that moment of awareness, when it dawns on you the question of 'what am i going to do with my life?' and you decide that reverting back to faith and the correct way of life is the only way out.
i don't know how to describe that awareness, cause you have to feel it to know it.
Seeing my brothers getting the same feeling, i remembered when i was in their shoes.
Lost, because i didn't know what to do next.
Scared, because i had so many mistakes and unsettled jahiliyyah. "alah, nak tegur-tegur orang, tengok diri sendiri la wei!" ("alah, you want to preach to people, see yourself first wei!")
Scared, because the feeling might go away.
Heavy, because of the milkshakes.
Heavy, because of the responsibility that comes with realisation.
To be honest, one of my ulterior motives in joining circles at first was because there was delicious food, and i was too lazy to cook. Yes, i thought it was refreshing to learn quran and stories of the sahabah and all, but it was just like 'yay, at least im doing something good tonight' and then back to square one.
But God has his ways.
I was in Paris, and after the trip i was supposed to go 'somewhere' (ooo..mysterious kan). But you know, the devil whispers a lot.
When suddenly, this message (message from Above??) came in:
"salaam. dengar kata xnak pergi ____ ? me pun dulu macam tu gak, biasalah dah berseronok2 siapa nak pergi program keagamaan..."
"salaam. i heard you didn't want to go to____? i was like that also, that's normal, when you're having fun who wants to go for religious programs.."
me: *ripped to shreds*
only hearts of composite steel could resist a message like that. So after much 'urghhs' and 'groannns' i eventually went.
And got a metaphorical slap-in-the face.
Its weird how different people come to terms. One of the sahabah accepted Islam after he lost a wrestling match to the Prophet SAW. Some get affected when their friends are affected. Some suddenly awaken in their solitude in the library.
Programs, friends, our naqib, groups of people with similar understanding. These are just vehicles, tools that God sent for helping us. The real thing is that God wants good for you.
So the next big question is: how do we maintain that awakening? Our internal battles are more gut-wrenching than stepping on a landmine in the heat of the Vietnam War.
Maybe we could pick a leaf out of the story of the Ashabul Kahfi (Companions of the Cave). They were youth who shared the same beliefs and wanted to protect themselves from the oppression and darkness rampant all around them.
"And We made their hearts firm and strong (with the light of Faith in Allâh and bestowed upon them patience to bear the separation of their kith and kin and dwellings, etc.) when they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any ilâh (god) other than Him; if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief. These our people have taken for worship âliha (gods) other than Him (Allâh). Why do they not bring for them a clear authority? And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allâh. (The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allâh, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.)." (Al Kahf:14-16)
And Allah showed them the way. Lots of things are still waiting to happen, in these 'a changing times :-)


text:
If you write a PHP application, where you have to deliver the compiled code to the customer, how could you include a functionality to send encrypted data from that application to others, and include those needed keys inside the code, so the customer cannot reverse engineer it so easily?
Just including the keys in the code and compile it with ionCube doesen't seem the best solution for this:
How secure is ionCube compiled code? ... not secure enough


text:
First drive review: Vauxhall Astra VXR
Vauxhall has created a new Astra VXR to keep itself in the hot hatch market
What is it?
Vauxhall's answer to the calls of the mid-thirties boy racer. This is the firm's second attempt to quash the efforts of the Ford Focus ST, VW Golf GTI and Renault Megane RS.
What's new?
It's totally new and is based on the Astra GTC. There's some very clever kit to make the VXR travel around corners as quickly as it tackles straight pieces of road, such as a limited slip differential and Vauxhall's adaptive FlexiRide damping system.
Vauxhall Astra VXR
First drive review: Vauxhall Astra VXR
Up Next
See Gallery
Discover More Like This
What's under the bonnet?
An inline four-cylinder turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine. It's the same engine found in the previous model but it now develops 276bhp and 400Nm of torque. Top speed is 155mph; 0-60mph takes just 5.9 seconds.
What's the kit like?
Rather than fill the VXR with sat-nav, Bluetooth and a big stereo as standard, Vauxhall has fitted a limited slip differential and massive Brembo brakes. Kit such as CD/MP3, USB and sat-nav are optional extras.
Any rivals?
Naturally the VXR goes up against its arch rival the Ford Focus ST, and the perennial VW Golf GTI. But its coupe styling does mean it's a rival for the Renaultsport Megane and the VW Scirocco R.
Is it any good?
It's a real driver's car, this. This new VXR simply grips with the more power you apply. It is a more subdued experience compared to the old VXR, but the new car feels bigger and more comfortable. The rate in which it shoots towards the horizon is beyond the reach of its rivals.
The Autoblog verdict?
The Astra VXR has taken the hot hatch game to another level. This is a super hot hatch with real world pace and handling to rival cars three times the price. Speaking of price... £30,000 for an Astra? Really?
The knowledge
Model: Vauxhall Astra VXR
Price: £29,535
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbo petrol
Power: 276bhp, 400Nm
Max speed: 155mph
0-60mph: 5.9s
MPG (comb'd): 34.9
Emissions: 189g/km


text:
Ignatian spirituality is the heart and soul of the Jesuit mission. Jesuit retreats offer a path to anyone seeking to practice this spirituality more deeply and find God in all things.
The Midwest Jesuits have 10 retreat ministries in seven states, serving everyone from high school students and young adults, people experiencing homelessness and addiction, busy professionals looking for quiet, and seasoned retreatants traveling an ongoing journey to grow closer to God.
Click on the links below to learn more about each of the Midwest Jesuits' retreat ministries or sign up for a retreat. Click here to see a map of Jesuit retreat ministries throughout the United States.
Retreat Ministries
Two university retreat centers also offer a variety of retreats and programs to the public:


text:
Keira Knightley Says She's Often Mistaken for Natalie Portman & 'Feels Quite Sorry For Her'
Natalie Portman wears her gorgeous evening wear at the closing and award ceremony for the 2014 Shanghai International Film Festival held at the Shanghai Grand Theatre on Sunday (June 22) in Shanghai, China.
The 33-year-old actress also attended a press conference earlier in the day while in town.
Keira Knightley recently appeared on The Graham Norton Show, where she said she is often mistaken for Natalie!
"Natalie Portman I get a lot, and I get chased through airports," Keira shared. "I feel quite sorry for her because she must get chased a lot because it's happened like five times where someone's been like, Natalie! Natalie! Natalie!' And I'll sign and take a picture as Natalie."
FYI: Natalie is wearing head-to-toe Dior with a Richard Mille watch at both events.
10+ pictures inside of Natalie Portman at the film festival…


text:
Elizabeth Lloyd was sitting at a picnic table near a fenced-in Little League bullpen watching her son play when she was struck in the face with a baseball. The culprit? A then-11-year-old bullpen catcher named Matthew Migliaccio who was warming up a pitcher.
The incident happened in May 2010, and Lloyd, 45, says she has had to have reconstructive surgery and continues to suffer from headaches. She's seeking $500,000 in damages, and her attorney, Riaz A. Mian, says it's because she was unable to reach an insurance settlement.
According to the lawsuit, Lloyd contends Matthew intentionally struck her, causing permanent injuries.
"He throws his best fast ball over the bullpen into the picnic area, striking my client in the face," Mian said. "Life is now different for my client."
A spokesman for the Manchester (N.J.) Little League said leagues have insurance, but that it doesn't cover spectators. An attorney for Migliaccio's family called the lawsuit "frivolous" and said, "In your face, lady!"*
* He didn't actually say this.


text:
Coming home: <I>Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster
NEWS- Coming home: Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster
The subject of The Hook's September 11 cover story ["George's monster: Nearly 40 years later, Garrett looks back on his beast"] has come to Clemons. UVA is finally getting a copy of Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster.
"I was sort of presented with a bit of a challenge," says Erika Day, the librarian in charge of purchasing Clemons' videos, "to see if I could track this thing down."
Day says that after reading the story, she decided to try to locate what is easily the most maligned film ever to involve a UVA professor. Garrett, the film's screenwriter, has moved forward in literary circles since crafting this anti-masterpiece in the early 1960s.
"I'm terribly worried," says Garrett, "that if it's in the library and people have ready access to it, they will break the code of its subtle allegory, and I will be in trouble."
Bad news for Garrett. The VHS tape arrived last week, which means card-carrying library patrons can see the picture– gratis– in their own home theaters. The story doesn't end there.
"I would really like to get in touch with whoever has the public performance rights for this thing," says Day, "so that we can have a screening of it."
That can be arranged. Sorry, George.


text:
Simply massage into skin to dissolve makeup and other impurities. Rinse with warm water and you'll be left with nothing but fresh, moisturized, glowing skin—no need to worry about parabens, sulfates, phthalates, petrochemicals, animal-derived ingredients, synthetic preservatives, synthetic fragrances, or synthetic dyes/colorants.
Keep out of reach of children. For external use only. Keep away from eyes and mucous membranes.
Storage: Keep in a cool, dark place.
†100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oil
∆∆100% pure absolute


text:
Over the years, we have kept a successful record of partnerships with private companies. This experience allowed us to set-up a collaboration framework conducive of long term partnerships while promoting UN goals and principles. Through the implementation of concrete activities in the field of training and knowledge transfer, we provide an environment able to enhance the value of the private sector's contribution to sustainable development.
Partnerships mean a tangible and positive impact for all stakeholders: while we get the opportunity to show the applications of UN public-private partnerships, the private sector can promote and enhance the value of its social responsibility policy for sustainable development.