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Several websites targeting drivers across the country are promising easy online driver license renewals, but appear to be delivering little except credit card charges.
These companies, which appear to be located in foreign countries, are using paid advertising results on the major Internet search providers like Google and Yahoo to lure customers away from the official Department of Licensing (DOL) website. This is leading to extra fees paid to unknown companies who appear to be offering little more than services already available for free using the official DOL website.
Customers have reported these sites are charging as much as $35 dollars for "customer service" assistance in renewing a driver license. In addition many of these customers suspect these sites have sold their personal information to others for marketing purposes.
DOL posted a video on YouTube this week explaining that these websites are not associated in any way with DOL.
Doing business online with DOL and other government agencies is fast, easy and secure, but know these simple tips to make sure you are doing business with us and not an imitator:
- Access to DOL information and forms is free on the DOL website.
- Whenever you look at search results, keep in mind that the first several results may be paid advertising. Don't just click on the first link; take a moment to examine your search results and pick carefully. If you need to do business with DOL, choose one that includes our "wa.gov" domain in the website address.
- Take time to read the fine print. These sites are taking advantage of the fact that people seldom read disclaimers on websites.


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Honorata Kizende looked out at the audience and began with a simple, declarative sentence.Helping Congolese rape victims to speak out in front of local audiences is one facet of a larger effort to change the culture, along with increased criminal prosecutions, legal clinics and special police units. The speaking serves several purposes, raising awareness locally and internationally, as well as helping the women recover their confidence as well as their voices in a country "where women tend to be beaten down anyway," according to the article. (Embedded in the online article is a video showing one event where women were encouraged to speak, so you can watch this amazing tale unfold.)
"There was no dinner," she said.
"It was me who was dinner. Me, because they kicked me roughly to the ground, and they ripped off all my clothes, and between the two of them, they held my feet. One took my left foot, one took my right, and the same with my arms, and between the two of them they proceeded to rape me. Then all five of them raped me."
For every person who comes to this site after searching for "how to be eloquent," these speeches are models of simplicity--and all the more powerful for the lack of flowery rhetoric which would be superfluous here. It's the cold, hard facts, dramatic enough in their own right, that cut through the culture of ignoring the problem. Concrete and sticky, these words demand that you listen: "There was no dinner. It was me who was dinner." The next time you're searching for an elaborate turn of phrase, consider "simple power," and see whether you can transform your speech into something this extraordinary.

subset: commoncrawl


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Keloyay makes boss moves in "Make A Play"
Keloyaya moves like a boss in "Make A Play." He shows off what comes with this life of luxury as we see the houses and the cars that make his life a thrilling good time. He brings boastful raps that bring you right into the thrill of what he's saying.
Watch the video for "Make A Play" below.
Baby Money drops 'Speak On Me'
Baby Money drops his new track, "Speak On Me," and it an energetic declaration of riches. Sitting on some bleachers, Baby Money shows off his riches while showing that he can rap with the best of them. It's a difficult feat, but he pulls it off effortlessly.
Watch "Speak On Me" below.
This Year In Diss Tracks – Ranked
In 2018, there've a number of beefs but only two have spawned diss tracks: Pusha T versus Drake and Machine Gun Kelly versus Eminem. The four tracks that have come have been brutal attacks on character of varying levels of severity. It's time to rank them from worst to best to figure out who had the best assault on character.
4. "Killshot" by Eminem
Eminem's diss to MGK shows that you can be the better rapper, but you can still drop an abysmal record. Em's raps were fast and tight, and, admittedly, rhyming "damn gun" with "man bun" is as hilarious as you would think. But it ultimately lacked the heft of the classic disses in history and showed that, when left to his own devices, Eminem just can't keep up with the new guys.
3. "Duppy Freestyle" by Drake
Drizzy's diss towards Pusha T came from a stray lyric or two from the latter's Daytona which he perceived to be directed towards him. In true Drake fashion, he trolls Pusha T for the course of three minutes in a fast, breathless flow that even mentions Pusha T's wife, Virginia Williams. But Drake would soon find out that he had pressed the wrong one…
2. "Rap Devil" by MGK
No one in history would have believed that Machine Gun Kelly would best Eminem in a battle of diss songs. But he did with "Rap Devil," a play on Em's self-proclaimed title, that shared just how far Em has fallen from rap's grace. Kelly's allegations rang with a curious sense of disappointment and an overwhelming sense of bravado that made many feel that he won their brief battle.
1. "Story of Adidon" by Pusha T
Pusha T's response to Drake's "Duppy Freestyle" was magical. A moment in time created to the backdrop of " Story of OJ" by JAY-Z that turned Drake's world upside down. The revelation of the Canadian crooner hiding a child shook him to his foundation and showed that he wasn't impenetrable as many believed.
A Year Ago Today, G Herbo Released 'Humble Beast'
Now, when we hear G Herbo's music, we think of the careless Swervo. The rapper who could say so much more, but chooses not to to break into new territory due to his fans wishes. But prior to that he was Herbo, the Humble Beast. Understanding who that is and what he represents comes with listening to Humble Beast, Herbo's debut studio album that released on September 18, 2017.
Herbo's debut came after years of grinding in the underground circuit. He outlasted the drill era of Chicago and worked to establish himself for years. When he finally came into his own in 2017, he was fully formed, polished, and ready to go. Humble Beast showcases that confidence and declares Herbo as one of the best rappers in the game, period. The ways that he brings classic street rap to the forefront with a collection of dark, foreboding beats invites that feeling of nostalgia that arises when listening to old Dipset.
While many debuts often try to tick every box to create a comprehensive project that showcases the breadth of their abilities, Herbo creates what he wants to create. There's no faux push for meeting pre-established metrics, just hard-hitting lifestyle rap that covers the breadth of his experiences. Humble Beast's authenticity is unlike any sub-21 rapper's catalogs in nearly two decades. It proved that Herb has a story to tell unlike anything we've ever heard before.


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Competitive rate + Perkbox + Bonus + Commission +33 days annual leave + Staff discounts
A bit about us – and why we need you!
Treating over 25,000 clients each month through a nationwide network of 74 clinics, sk:n is the UK's leading provider of advanced skin treatments. We have a truly recognisable brand which has been carefully built over 28 years on the foundations of efficacy, knowledge and trust. Simply put, our aim is to give people greater self-confidence through better skin. Whether we're getting rid of unwanted facial hair, treating acne, removing blemishes or reducing the signs of ageing, we change lives every day and it's something we're extremely passionate about.We are expanding our clinic network throughout the UK which means it's a hugely exciting time to become part of our team!
The Opportunity
We are now recruiting for a part-time Aesthetic Practitioner to join the team at our London South Woodford clinic. You will be responsible for meeting and greeting clients, advising them on suitable treatments and products and carrying out a range of advanced treatments. Other duties will include reception, retailing products, diary management and general administration.
What's in it for you?
You will receive a competitive hourly salary, industry leading bonuses, 33 days holiday, free or reduced treatments and products, in addition to full training in the life changing treatments that we offer. There are also genuine opportunities for career progression, we have a structured career path for Practitioners and there is also the opportunity to apply for our internal Clinic Manager training programme.
Finally, it's an opportunity to join the UK's market leader within the rapidly expanding Aesthetic and Cosmetic industry. You too could be changing lives by helping people to achieve greater self-confidence through better skin!
If this sounds like the career path you have been looking for, we look forward to hearing from you!
Experience, Qualifications and Personal Qualities.


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An appeals court denied Nicollette Sheridan's wrongful termination claim against ABC and Touchstone Television, Deadline.com reports.
Though the appeals court ruled that Sheridan was not fired from Desperate Housewives, rather the studio and network decided not to pick up the actress' contract between seasons, she can pursue claims that she was retaliated against after complaining that creator Marc Cherry allegedly struck her on the head while on set.
Appeals court delays Nicollette Sheridan's retrial against Desperate Housewives
"The Court of Appeal correctly found that Ms. Sheridan was not terminated," Adam Levin, the attorney for ABC and Touchstone, said in a statement. "Instead, her employment ended because Touchstone elected not to renew her contract after her character, Edie Britt, died on the show. Her last remaining claim for wrongful termination is gone, and while she may seek to add an OSHA claim, we believe we will prevail on that claim as well."
However, Sheridan's attorney Marc Baute says they will continue to pursue the claims that Sheridan was fired in retaliation for her complaint. "We will prosecute Touchstone to the fullest extent of the law under Labor Code Section 6310," he said in a statement.


text: Professional athletes will often say, "its never as good as it looks when you win, nor is it as bad as it looks when you lose. Cheap Authentic Jerseys ." As we head into the final week of the regular season it will be the last chance for two teams in the CFL to lace them up. It is also a last opportunity to take a look at both the Edmonton Eskimos and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and try and figure out if it was as bad as it looked. First the Eskimos, a team that was for years the flagship organization in the CFL, but has now missed the playoffs for the second time in the last four seasons. It is just too easy to blame all the issues and losses on a trade that happened two years ago, when Ricky Ray became an Argo. Yes, it has taken the team two full years to find their franchise player, and even with Mike Reilly now established as the starter, it may take a couple of more years until the franchise is a true Grey Cup competitor. However, while the play at quarterback in 2013 wasnt perfect, Reillys body of work this year was good enough to get this team into the post-season. Whatever fate lies ahead for Kavis Reed in Edmonton, the head coach can take pride in the fact that by being convinced to give Reilly a real opportunity, he just may have led the franchise out of the shadow of the Ray trade. Early in the year, after a loss in BC, the head coach was being pressured by the media and fans to make a change at quarterback. Most felt that Reilly had enough of a chance at that point, and it was time to look at other guys. Reed said recently, "there was a lot of noise in that regard, the fans wanted me to make a change, but I knew we had to be patient with Mike." Despite the dismal record in Edmonton that patience has paid off. They now have a quarterback that they can build a team around, and will also have a healthy Matt Nichols back in the mix in next years camp who can, at the very least provide a solid back-up, and at best challenge Reilly for the starting job. Such a competition that would make them both better. So if the play at the most important position on the field was good enough for a post-season berth than what happened in Edmonton? It seemed this year that both sides of the ball, the coaching staff, and even management took turns making mistakes along the way that led to the teams struggles. Those errors have been well documented and dont need to be rehashed, but the organization does need to make a list of every decision made, every policy implemented, and rewind what was said in every press conference, and make sure that the mistakes are not repeated. There are holes to fill in the roster for sure. For instance, unless your quarterbacks name is Allen, or Ham, your pivot cannot be your leading rusher. Running the ball successfully depends on the entire offence pulling the rope in the same direction and a coaching staff that is committed to that balanced attack. All aspects of the running game then have to be examined in Edmonton. The defensive side of the ball was supposed to be the strength of this team, and they simply underachieved. So yes, general manager Ed Hervey has his work cut out for him this off-season. However, maybe on D it is not so much about finding better starters as it is about finding better depth that will push the starters. While in Vancouver last week Mike Reilly said, "we were close this year to turning it around but it would be a mistake to think that if we just get the bounces next year we will get in the playoffs." He went on to say, "so Im sure there will be changes this off-season." Reilly is bang on. For the Esks, it cant be status quo, but they arent that far off either. It starts with self evaluation, which Im sure has already begun. Then the next step is to eliminate the mistakes. Then finally, build a positive and professional culture that will give the players in Edmonton a chance to be successful. Now to the Bombers where the issues, from the outside looking in, appear to be much deeper, and may take longer to fix. If the first step to building a winning football team is to find a franchise player/quarterback, and then secondly, build a team around that person, well then the Bombers are still trying to negotiate step one. It may be stating the obvious but, you can bet they will be preparing offer sheets in January for free agent QBs, and that is not an indictment on Max Hall. Hall has done his best in a very difficult situation, and has shown glimpses. However, I think it is safe to say it will be tough for the Bombers management to sell "glimpses" to their season ticket base. Hall doesnt necessarily have to be kicked to the curb, and could be invited to camp in 2014, but there simply has to be a stable of quarterbacks to compete for the starting job, and at least one of the new horses should be a player on a current roster that is heading for free agency. Like the Eskimos, the Bombers made mistakes this year from management to the players, but when you take a look at both teams rosters it is clear that Edmonton is closer. There really needs to be a shift in overall philosophy when it comes to the Bombers approach to re-signing players on their current roster, or attracting free agents. For instance, it has been suggested on TSN broadcasts multiple times this year that one of Winnipegs top priorities should be to re-sign Henoc Muamba, which has ignited a wave of Twitter responses from Bomber fans saying that Muamba wont sign anything until he sees whats out there, so why bother giving him an offer? Here is why. He is vital to the rebuilding process when it comes to Canadian talent. In this particular situation, the Bombers may have to overpay for Muamba, or lose another huge Canadian cornerstone, reminiscent of Brendon Labatte from a couple of years ago. He still may say thanks but no thanks, and move to a different team. However, assuming that he will and therefore holding off on making him an offer he cant refuse is not a strategy that will ever work. On a radio interview a month ago acting general manager Kyle Walters said that the organization has been talking to Muamba and that is a start, as long as it isnt just talk. If the Bombers have to make Muamba the highest paid linebacker in the CFL next year so be it, they can deal with that contract down the road as their overall Canadian content improves. But to let him walk would be devastating. Yes, a highly paid free agent quarterback, overpaying for a Canadian middle linebacker, while paying at least two and possibly three head coaches, may cause the teams accountant some long nights but what is the alternative? Some will say the team cant afford to do that while they are paying for a brand new stadium, but can they afford not to? If Muamba does move on, and it is later learned that the money was close, then the Bombers have fumbled yet again. The team needs a quarterback and Canadians plain and simple, so its time to do whatever is necessary to get them. Ultimately, it will be the Esks and Bombers fans who will be the judges as to whether or not it was as bad as it looked in 2013, but what is important now is to look forward and not back. Its next year country in Winnipeg and Edmonton and next year starts now. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . -- Adam Pelech scored with three seconds left in regulation to lift the Erie Otters past the Owen Sound Attack 3-2 in Wednesdays lone Ontario Hockey League game. Cheap NFL Authentic Jerseys . Sipp will earn $500,000 this season if he remains in the majors and $100,000 in the minors. There is $200,000 in performance bonuses in the major league deal. DETROIT -- The Tigers have agreed to a one-year deal with shortstop Jose Iglesias that pays him at an annual rate of $1.65 million while in the major leagues and $1,237,500 while in the minors. Iglesias, who is not yet eligible for salary arbitration, received the maximum 20 per cent cut from his previous contract, an $8.5 million, four-year agreement. Iglesias finished second in last years AL Rookie of the Year vote, hitting .303 in 109 games with Boston and the Tigers. Detroit aacquired him from the Red Sox in a three-way deal shortly before the trade deadline. Cheap NFL Jerseys. Iglesias replaced Jhonny Peralta at shortstop for Detroit while Peralta was serving a drug suspension last season. Peralta signed with St. Louis during the off-season. Iglesias is part of an infield the Tigers hope will be improved defensively in 2014. Miguel Cabrera is moving from third base back to first to replace Prince Fielder, who was traded to the Texas Rangers. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '


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AUER Packaging provides highly customised and flexible – and therefore highly attractive – combination options. You have the option of configuring the collapsible big box exactly according to your wishes: choose the right version for each individual side wall – regardless of whether it has an opening flap or is solid or whether it has ventilation slits.
- No extra costs
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http://www.mobileapptelligence.com – Diversity existing among the mobile platform and the mobile operating systems is posing a unique challenge in designing and developing of mobile applications. The thought of mobile application development raises a question regarding best mobile platform to choose.
A very common question that would form a part of your through process is whether to build your app in native platform or hybrid platform or cross-platform code. The mobile development model that would best suit your needs could be decided by reviewing the following pros and cons of each model. There are many companies providing best in class mobile application development services, offering all the three models listed below.
Hire Cross-Platform Mobile Development Company – Get a Project Quote – http://www.mobileapptelligence.com/enquiry.html
A native app is an application program that has been programmed to be used in a particular platform or device. Due to the fact that native apps are platform specific, it has the facility of taking advantage of the features of the operating system and the other software that is installed on the platform. It also posses the ability to use the device specific hardware and software, which means that native apps possess the capability of implementing the latest technology, like the GPS and camera.
If you want to make sure that that your core business logic plays efficiently in each platform's own ecosystem then you have to choose native app development, in which the apps have best native navigation and feature rich views with platform specific UX. Moreover native mobile apps development takes full access of platform specific tools. The main constraint arises at significant app development cost.
If your mobile app development time and cost is a constraint then hybrid mobile app development is a good choice. It utilizes the readily available development tools like HTML5, CSS, Angular JS, available with the mobile app developers. Hybrid app can be installed from an app store in exactly the same way as any other mobile app. Advanced hybrid app development provides stronger code for tighter integration between the app and device hardware. You should hire html5 developer having live projects in his belt.
Hybrid mobile app development falls behind when there is an increase need of platform specific skills and may not be sometimes optimal for the device it is running for. Even the UI elements rendered may not be matching with the native UI elements.
Cross-platform App Development:
If you want to push your business growth with the mobile app that runs in all the mobile platforms then cross platform app development is the ideal strategy for platform independent app development. Cross platform makes use of modern programming language, code sharing across all platforms, prebuilt backed connectors and no-compromise native user interfaces. Top cross platform mobile application tools and plug-ins for code re usability are Rhomobile, Phonegap, Titanium, etc which provides great user experience and navigation.
Mobile App Usage Stats 2015
According to a leading mobile analytics firm, mobile app usage continued to see significant growth year on year, with overall mobile app usage up by 72.5%. Top mobile app categories including shopping, utilities & productivity and messaging also saw more than 300% growth. With 51% of time spent on mobile devices in comparison to 42% on desktops / laptops by end users in United States, global companies are partnering top mobile app development companies to develop mobile apps, which keep them ahead of curve.
MobileAPPtelligence is an award winning mobile application development company, delivering best in class native and cross-platform apps to global clients.


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The sometimes sizzling, sometimes fizzling Rays are back home this weekend against the hated Red Sox, which means it's time to have more fun going to Rays games and save money.
Grab a seat on the No Excuses Tour chauffeured luxury bus to Tropicana Field, courtesy of Paradise Worldwide Transportation and Lee Roy Selmon's.
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Click on through to grab a seat, and get all the details at NoExcusesTour.com.
Don't flush your gas and parking money down the toilet. More than 750 fans have enjoyed the Tour. Get on board! Check out the BayNews9 video on the tour below.


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Dean's Message: F&ES History a Guide
to Our Way Forward
Dean Peter Crane
When I was at Kew Gardens, I had a particular affection for a stately Ginkgo biloba tree that had been brought there in 1762—one of the very first ginkgos to be grown outside of eastern Asia. I admired that tree not only for its muscular beauty, but for its tenacity. It stands today over 100 feet tall, its angular crown, long erratic branches and fan-like leaves lording over the grounds, its deep green leaves turning a beautiful lemon yellow in autumn. Spectacular. That venerable ginkgo differed little from similar trees that grew more than 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period. Groves of ancient ginkgos that inhabited the world of dinosaurs and the very earliest birds would have been almost indistinguishable from similar ones planted today all over the world, from Central Park to the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
Ginkgo, also known as the Maidenhair Tree, almost died out in the climatic extremes of the last glaciation, but it still survives in scattered, remnant populations in central China. For at least the last 500 years, ginkgo has been planted in China, Japan and Korea, especially in association with Buddhist temples, and has persisted through countless catastrophes in the long history of its lineage. It is a botanical survivor. Individual trees are also incredibly resilient, thriving in tough urban environments. One even withstood Hiroshima, just a mile from the blast's epicenter.
As an evolutionary biologist, whose main academic interest is plants—their origin and fossil history on a global scale—I appreciate the longevity and durability of the ginkgo, because it helps calibrate the speed of current environmental change. As a natural survivor that almost went extinct, it also reminds us what is at stake as we seek to manage today's rapid environmental change, which has increasingly far-reaching consequences, not just for plants, but also for people. Training new generations of specialists capable of understanding and managing that change is the core mission of our school.
As you can tell by now, I am a peculiar academic hybrid—part plant biologist, part paleontologist and part conservationist. My perspective encompasses millions of years of plant evolution, so I'm used to seeing the big picture in historical context. And I know that history will be a faithful guide as we begin charting the future course of the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. W.G. Hoskins in his seminal book, The Making of the English Landscape, put it this way: "Flesh that covers the bones, and the details of the features [of a landscape], are the concern of the historian, whose task it is to show how man has clothed the geological skeleton during the recently comparative past." One cannot fully appreciate the distinctiveness and excellence of F&ES—its programs, its research, its courses of study, its people—our landscape!—and gain some measure of the possibilities before us without understanding the history through which it came to be. Hoskins made it a point to recognize the details of a landscape, piece by piece, and to know how each came to be there. He was interested in how the individual points made the whole scene.
Since my arrival at the end of August, I have likewise concerned myself primarily with getting to know the faculty, the students and the staff here and throughout Yale, all in an effort to understand what we have, where we came from and how we can formulate a vision that will enhance the school's important place in the life of this great university and the way we serve our nation and the world.
In the coming months we will be thinking collectively about our vision for the future. I will expand on our conclusions in this space in the next issue of the magazine, but already some key points are clear. We must encourage an increasingly synergistic approach to scholarship, teaching and research that will strengthen collaboration both within F&ES and at Yale more broadly, focused around the most important environmental challenges that we face. Our key responsibility is to ensure that we continue to develop students and scholars who can truly see the forest for the trees and who understand that the environmental whole is more than the sum of its parts. And we must recognize that, too, in ourselves. It is my conviction that building links within and beyond Yale will be crucial to increasing the impact of the work that we do.
My first few weeks here on campus, in our magnificent new home, Kroon Hall, have been exhilarating. I look forward with great anticipation to what we can do together, and I am truly grateful to all of you for the warm welcome and support that you have given me and my family. F&ES has accomplished much over the past hundred years and, especially, over the last decade. We have much to be proud of. Looking forward, through our collective efforts, F&ES, like the indefatigable ginkgo, will not only endure, but soar to new heights.


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Dog food reviews
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1 Star Dry Dog Food
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Black Gold 24/12 Trainers Blend
Date of last review
Mon January 29, 2007
Recommended By
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Average Rating
No recommendations
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None indicated
Metabolized Energy
372 kcal/cup
Meat Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Poultry Fat (Preserved with BHA, Citric Acid and Mixed Tocopherols Source of Vitamin E), Chicken-By-Product Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Poultry Flavoring, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Brewers Dried Yeast, Sodium Propionate, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B 12 Supplement, Niacin, Biotin, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Calcium lodate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex (Vitamin K), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate and Folic Acid.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, minimum 24.0%
Crude Fat, minimum 12.0%
Crude Fiber, maximum 3.5%
Moisture, maximum 12.0%
Post a Reply
Registered: October 2005
Posts: 3953
Review Date:
Mon January 29, 2007
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Insufficient meat content, by-products, meat and fat of unidentifiable source, carcinogenic chemical preservative, low quality grain and other controversial filler.
The sole meat product in the food is "meat" meal, heading the ingredient list. This is an extremely low quality product of unidentifiable origin and something we would go to great lengths to avoid in any dog food. It is defined as "the rendered product from mammal tissues, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices".
The grain content is similarly low quality. Corn is a difficult to digest grain, which limits its nutritional value for dogs. We consider this to be a low quality ingredient. It is also commonly associated with allergy and skin problems. Corn appears a second time on the ingredient list as corn gluten meal. This is the "dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm". In plain English, that which remains after all the nutritious bits have been removed. Wheat is a grain very commonly associated with allergy problems that we prefer not to see used, and in this form is filler. We prefer not to see the use of these grains in dog food.
Poultry fat is a further low quality ingredient rarely found in anything but very low quality foods. Poultry fat is an ingredient of unidentified origin for which it is impossible to determine source or quality. Unidentified ingredients are usually very low quality. AAFCO define this as obtained from the tissues of poultry in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids. If an antioxidant is used, the common name or names must be indicated, followed by the words "used as a preservative". In this instance, the preservative used is a chemical BHA that is widely believed to be carcinogenic.
This food includes by-products. Chicken by-product meal - a very low quality ingredient. This is defined as "consisting of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice".
Beet pulp is another low quality ingredient and filler. It is a by-product, being dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. It is a controversial ingredient in dog food, claimed by some manufacturers to be a good source of fibre, and derided by others as an ingredient added to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats and causing stress to kidney and liver in the process. We note that beet pulp is an ingredient that commonly causes problems for dogs, including allergies and ear infections, and prefer not to see it used in dog food. There are less controversial products around if additional fibre is required.
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Re: USB drive organization
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 10:58 am
Here is an idea.blorg wrote:There are freeware programs out there that can do this for the "order written to disk" method, but it wouldn't be hard to write up my own program to do it either way and gives me a little more control.
Using playlists as the source, create folders on the USB drive - one folder per playlist. The tracks would be written either in shuffled mode or normal depending on the option selected.
I think the USB navigation is too clumsy to go by albums. A few long playlists is easier to handle.


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Women's Health USA 2013 Home
This Web site has been produced as an online version of the 12th edition of the data book, Women's Health USA 2013, published by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in December 2013.
Women's Health USA is an easy-to-use collection of current and historical data on some of the most pressing health challenges facing women, their families, and their communities.
Data in Women's Health USA:
- Reflects the everchanging, increasingly diverse population and its characteristics
- Highlights emerging issues and trends in women's health
- Profiles women's health from a variety of data sources
- Serves as a concise reference for policymakers and program managers
Browse by Section
- Population Characteristics
- Health Status
- Health Services Utilization
Women's Health USA 2013 is not copyrighted. Readers are free to duplicate and use the text and graphs contained in this publication; however, the photographs are copyrighted by iStockphoto and Thinkstock and permission may be required to reproduce them.


text:
Hope my mug didn't prevent people from attending! Perhaps it kept Lisa Yee from attending, she was out of town. While we missed seeing the Queen of LA Kids Lit, it did provide for an opportunity for someone to mishear "Lisa Yee" for "Eazy E".
We had a great time, as always, with our friends at Target. SCBWI goddess Lin Oliver and her writing partner, Henry Winkler, were taking the stage after me, so we had a chance to chum it up backstage.
It was a sunny day and there was an incredible crowd!
Afterwards, I signed books in a booth that would apparently soon be occupied by the Wayans brothers.
And after that, G and I strolled the Festival with YA Lit President, David Levithan. He was meeting John Green at the YA Stage. So off we went, running into other authors as made our way to the other end of the Festival.
It was so very Wizard of Oz.
There was Bob Bob Boyle, creator of Nick Jr's Wow! Wow! Wubbzy and author of the awesome new book, Hugo and the Really, Really, Really Long Strong.
There was Tom Warburton, creator of Cartoon Network's Codename: Kids Next Door and the super-cool new book 1000 Times No. Tom has been stalking me for some time now, so it was nice to finally meet in person! (Just kidding, Tom. I have been stalking you. Now can we lift that restraining order?)
And finally, there was John Green.
And because G and I are knee deep in board books with our almost 1 1/2 year old, we can't help but look at John and David's book and say aloud:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson, what do you see?
I see David Levithan strolling by me.
David Levithan, David Levithan, what do you see?
I see John Green videotaping alongside me.
Of course, there was cotton candy and churros, as documented by Bob's remarkablly awesome, remarkably funny wife, Terri.


text:
That talk by Pamela Gay that was so well received is now available as a transcript. It's very good, and it's also good to see that someone at least was praising skepchicks at TAM, instead of dismissing them.
Although it is offset by the fact that I now know of one woman who was so harassed she had to leave the meeting early. Let's hope some of the organizers were actually listening to Gay, and that they'll do better next year.


text:
Delaney stepping down as AG
AG says he plans to return to private practice
Attorney General Michael Delaney announced Tuesday he's stepping down and will return to private practice.
"I've been blessed to have served for 14 years in public service on behalf of the citizens of this state," Delaney said.
After serving four years as attorney general, Delaney said he has decided to make a change.
"Having reflected on that career and what's in the best interest of me and my family at this time, I've made a decision to return to private practice and say my goodbye to the Department of Justice," he said.
Up for reappointment at the end of the month, Delaney said the decision to not seek another term was his alone, in spite of his public opposition to the casino portion of Gov. Maggie Hassan's budget proposal.
"I made this decision," Delaney said. "I think it's the right decision for me, and I'm going to return to the private practice of law."
Hassan released a statement thanking Delaney for his service.
"While I understand his desire to pursue new opportunities, his steady leadership of our justice system will be missed, and I wish Mike the very best," she said.
Among the successes in his term, Delaney pointed to the convictions in the Mont Vernon murder trial and the prosecution of Myles Webster for the shooting of Manchester police Officer Dan Doherty.
He said the unsolved killing of Celina Cass and the shooting death of Greenland Police Chief Michael Maloney were among his greatest challenges. He said he leaves his office with the utmost respect for all everyone in law enforcement.
"I have a tremendous amount of appreciation for the sacrifices they make every day fulfilling the public safety mission in this state, and I will very much miss working with them in a day-in, day-out basis," Delaney said.
He said he didn't have any immediate plans to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Kelly Ayotte, who is now a U.S. senator.
"I'm going to focus on going back to the private sector of law," he said. "I have no intentions of seeking higher office at this time."
Hassan said Delaney has agreed to stay on past the expiration of his term on March 31 if necessary to ease the transition. There was no word on who the governor would tap to replace him.


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Gearing up for Comic-Con fatigue? Sure, a swift drink will temporarily take the edge off, but events taking place in a bar around the corner will offer even greater relief. Better than convention-center craziness is Trickster, a DIY "creator convention" taking place at the Wine Steals / Proper restaurant and pub down the street.
The alterna-convention is founded by Pixar storyboard artist Scott Morse and story artist Ted Mathot, with Anita Coulter, who is married to Pixar artist Jeff Pidgeon. Their proposed Comic-Con oasis is a series of activities revolving around DIY storytelling with an intentionally limited group of enthusiasts.
Trickster got its start in 2011 after the trio aired a few comic convention frustrations on a message board. "Scott lamented the loss of intimacy and interactions that happen when people can come up to you and say, 'I like your stuff,' and you have a conversation about it," says Coulter.
But instead of just complaining, they went off to create a convention that better suited them, hosting a small group of attendees in a bar. "We wanted to create a place where you could be inspired, and where your art could be showcased," says Coulter. To avoid Comic-Con's homogenization, Coulter says the event will stay intentionally small. They're aiming for a "broad reach without becoming a behemoth."
The small venue and limited number of participants allowed the organizers to be flexible. On the first evening of the event last year, Trickster threw a life drawing event. It was such a success that when participants saw a band setting up the next night, they were disappointed. So Coulter polled the wine-infused audience: "You can have a band or life drawing. Which do you want?" People voted for their pencils.
Trickster 2012 ditched the bands and will bring extra drawing boards. This year they're also planning an art show and a pop up shop for indie graphic novels. But the core experience is still a series of two-hour workshops that focus on process, theory, and storytelling techniques. The symposia are geared around self-publishing, not getting a job at a big studio. So far they've booked James Robinson, Matt Wagner, and Mike Allred. Morse and Mathot are hosting classes, too.
Although last year's Trickster was self-funded, this year the team is trying to raise $35,000 to fund the event through an IndieGoGo campaign. They're offering perks along with investment, like a master class in "Plot Construction and the Perils of Payoffs" for $40. For $300, you can book an hour coaching session with an industry leader. (They have prints and t-shirts for sale, too).
Coulter says the ultimate goal for Trickster is to create new venues where storytellers can share their work. There will soon be a permanent Trickster store in Berkley, California, and the organizers are planning a Trickster show in Paris as well.
Let's raise a glass to the bigger conventions for providing fuel for the little ones.
Photos: Trickster


text: MLB Flags > San Francisco Giants Flag San Francisco Giants Wool Embroidered Banner View All San Francisco Giants Flag ITEMS Quantity $39.95 Out of Stock Add to Cart IN STOCK Only Standard Shipping Available Allow 1 to 2 Days Before Shipping Item ID#: WSS-Heritage-SFG Tweet Wish This San Francisco Giants Wool Embroidered Banner is a great commemorative banner of your favorite team. Our Winning Streak Sports premium banner measures 8" (W) x 32" (L), is made of thick wool blends, has applique and embroidery applied team logos, lettering, and years, and is "ready to hang" with an included hanging rod and hanging cord. Time to Celebrate your favorite team's heritage with this Officially Licensed San Francisco Giants Wool Embroidered Banner which is perfect for displaying on any room wall of your house, man cave, or office. If you're seeking a 12x30 inch felt pennants for wall displaying, see our Baseball Pennant Sets which include full size pennant flags for all MLB Teams. MLB Genuine Merchandise and Licensed by Winning Streak. Featured Items United States Printed 3x5 Foot Flag$7.95 USA Garden Yard Banner$2.95 American USA Pennant Banner$6.95 City of San Francisco 3x5 Banner Flag$24.95 State of California Garden Yard Banner$14.95 CALI Republic 3x5 Banner Flag$27.95 State of California 3x5 Banner Flag$24.95 Celebrate Garden Yard Banner$8.95 Welcome Garden Yard Banner$8.95 Bird and Flowers Garden Yard Banner$8.95 Welcome Home Patriotic Heart Decorative House Flag$18.95 USA Proud to be American Garden Yard Banner$12.95 Heart American Welcome Garden Yard Banner$12.95 Neighborhood Slow Down Garden Flag and Holder$24.95 Related Items San Francisco Giants Boat Flag$18.95 San Francisco Giants Retro Flag Pole and Bracket Kit$56.95 San Francisco Giants Flag Pole and Bracket Kit$56.95 San Francisco Giants Flag Pole and Bracket Kit$56.95 San Francisco Giants Garden Flag and Holder$24.95 San Francisco Giants Nation Flag$24.95 Customers Also Bought Flag & Pennant Accessories Frame for 8x32 inch banners $49.95 Out of Stock Add To Cart


text:
Photographer's Note
Nam Du Achipelago located in Rach Gia City Kien Giang province also known as "Hon Cu Tron" which is may difficult to explain the meaning in Vietnamese too. It's including 21 big and small island around there. More beautiful than Phu Quoc island. The place you shouldn't miss if you are traveling to Vietnam, especially Mekong Delta. For more information, Please Check here
thanks for stopping by.
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text:
Welcome to Marrowforums
At Marrowforums, patients and their families, friends, and caregivers assist and support each other through discussion and sharing. The diseases are rare, but the patients and those who care about them are not alone!
The first line of defense against bone marrow failure diseases is medical care — the hospitals, doctors, nurses, specialists, and other professionals who diagnose, treat, and monitor patients. Beyond that, there are many day-to-day concerns that patients and their families face, and they can learn much from other patients and families to help them cope with illness and be well-informed participants in their own care. The personal discussions at Marrowforums facilitate this person-to-person support.
Bone Marrow Failure Diseases
AA, MDS, and PNH are potentially life-threatening diseases in which the bone marrow fails to produce functioning blood cells in proper quantities.
- Aplastic Anemia (AA) - a disease in which the bone marrow fails to produce sufficient numbers of blood cells
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) - group of related disorders in which the bone marrow produces few functioning blood cells
- Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) - a disease in which the bone marrow produces red blood cells with a defective protective layer, resulting in the destruction of red blood cells
The Forums
At Marrowforums you can exchange tips and stories and share your experiences with others who face the same challenges. More about the forums...
To get started, click one of the following.


text:
Pennsylvania Weighs New Tax on Natural-Gas Drilling
Lawmakers Eye Levy Amid $1.5 Billion Budget Gap
Lawmakers facing a $1.5 billion budget gap in Pennsylvania are considering imposing a new tax on natural-gas production, one of several drilling-boom states wrestling with how much to tax the maturing industry.
Republican Gov. Tom Corbett has said a so-called severance tax, which drillers pay on the value of the gas taken from a well, could kill much-needed jobs. But his position recently has begun to soften.
To Read the Full Story


text:
How can I change the text color (or background of the text) for the icons on the desktop? I always have a black background and the black text won't work well as shown here:
Also, how can I change the panel text color (example: "Menu" in the left upper panel)?
Finally, how can I change the window button color in the lower panel from gray to say darker gray?
Thanks for the help, just another Ubuntu refugee exiled in the wake of the Unity/Gnome3 battle...
Nevermind, I found it in ~/.gtkrc-xfce:
Now I'm assuming I'll adjust the panel font in /usr/share/themes/[theme]/gtk-2.0/Apps/panel.rc
Does anyone know what line that might be?_
Maybe you've allways found a solution, however I just found this:
In short:
create a file in your home e.g. .gtkrc.xfce4 with this content:
## Icon View Text Appearance
style "xfdesktop-icon-view" {
## transparency (alpha) factor
# original: XfdesktopIconView::label-alpha = 75
# set transparency of icon text background to 100%
XfdesktopIconView::label-alpha = 0
# background colors
base[NORMAL] = "#C5C5C5"
base[SELECTED] = "#C5C5C5"
base[ACTIVE] = "#C5C5C5"
# foreground colors
fg[NORMAL] = "#000000"
fg[SELECTED] = "#000000"
fg[ACTIVE] = "#000000"
widget_class "*XfdesktopIconView*" style "xfdesktop-icon-view"
Adjust the values to your needs and save that file.
In the file $HOME/.gtkrc-2.0 add the following line:
(If you can't find .gtkrc-2.0 in your home, than create it!)
## $HOME/.gtkrc-2.0 may be changed on updates, so just add this line to it
include "/home/<your_user_name>/.gtkrc.xfce4"
Note: .gtkrc.xfce4 and .gtkrc-2.0 both file names start with a dot!
Now logout and back in again. Voila!
I'm new with linux and with xfce. I see someone has a solution here but I don't quite understand it. I use a black desktop background as well and would like to be able to change the font color. I copied that into a text file and saved it to the desktop but I don't know where this .gtkrc.xfce4 is or what it refers to. Please help.
It goes in your home folder (~/.gtkrc-xfce4). The name doesn't matter.
Then add in ~/.gtkrc-2.0
include "/home/<your_user_name>/.gtkrc-xfce4"
Change <your_user_name> for the proper user name.
Last edited by secipolla (2012-11-22 10:59:07)
This has been an invaluable lesson!! Thank you all! Just one thing I'm stuck in; I'd like to set shadows for my white icon text color so the text contrasts better in near white, light yellow and pink backgrounds. I've tried all kinds of combos. I know MATE can create such icon text shadows, so is this a XFCE limitation?
Thanks for any hints!
Jim in NYC
Last edited by jimwg (2013-02-16 18:02:11)
# foreground colors
fg[NORMAL] = "#000000"
fg[SELECTED] = "#000000"
fg[ACTIVE] = "#000000"
widget_class "*XfdesktopIconView*" style "xfdesktop-icon-view"
Adjust the values to your needs and save that file.
Hi. I was wondering if there might be a list of color codes to chose from. Thank you for this info.
Like this?
Haha!! Thank you very much, @ToZ!!


text:
Stanwyck shines in 'Crime of Passion'
Today is Barbara Stanwyck's birthday! Stanwyck (July 16, 1907 – Jan. 20, 1990) ranks as one of film noir's most important actresses, having played perhaps the greatest femme fatale of all, Phyllis Dietrichson in "Double Indemnity."
Always popular with audiences and admired by colleagues for her uncommon intelligence, versatility and professionalism, she also starred in "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers," "The Two Mrs. Carrolls" "Sorry, Wrong Number," "The File on Thelma Jordon," "No Man of Her Own," "The Furies," "Clash by Night," "Jeopardy," "Witness to Murder" and "Crime of Passion."
Crime of Passion/1957/United Artists/84 min.
Aah, how often has Mr E Man fantasized about giving up her dreary day-job. If only she had a lackadaisical husband whose career needed a jumpstart, she'd quite happily quit writing and meddle in his affairs full time. In director Gerd Oswald's "Crime of Passion" (1957), Kathy Ferguson Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck) makes that noble sacrifice for her hubby.
Kathy is a tough, high-profile advice columnist for a San Francisco newspaper. She's also a singleton who's stylish, smart and openly defiant to the male chauvinists in her social circle. She loves dishing out wisdom and doesn't consider herself lovelorn or lonely-hearted, dismissing marriage and family as "propaganda not for me." (An interesting turn of phrase from writer Jo Eisinger.)
That's before Kathy meets her blonde Adonis, aka Police Lt. Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden), who comes to town with the Los Angeles police as they expand their search for a criminal. Kathy helps them by putting a plea for surrender in her column. The cops nail the killer and Kathy gets a job offer from a New York paper. Alas, she never makes it to NYC because she's fallen head over heels for Bill. The idea of them moving east for her career doesn't occur to anyone, even Kathy.
Shortly into their relationship, Kathy has an OMG-what-did-I-do-last-night? moment and asks Bill: "Who are you? Who are you?" Next she peppers him with questions, like "What are your favorite colors?" In fact, what she did was get married. Yep, just like that.
Kathy quits writing, moves to LA and tries to become a dutiful wife. "I hope all your socks have holes in them and I can sit for hours and hours darning them," she gushes to Bill.
Unfortunately, however, Kathy seriously overrated the appeal of darning socks for hours at a time (shocker) and becomes darn bored.
At social gatherings, she gets stuck chatting with the ladies about cream cheese and olives, and 36-inch TVs. Not exactly thrilling stuff and Kathy starts to go a little crazy. OK, a lot a crazy. (Note to self: Before ditching my drivel-writing, check that husband has cool friends to hang with or at least lives near good shopping and spa treatments.)
To occupy her brain, Kathy engineers a series of stunts to accelerate Bill's ascent on the career ladder. She befriends the police inspector's wife Alice Pope (Fay Wray) and does her best to sabotage Bill's competition, captain Charlie Alidos (Royal Dano). His annoying wife Sara (Virginia Grey) relentlessly promotes her mate, but she's no match for Kathy.
That just leaves the job of getting the big cheese, police inspector Tony Pope (Raymond Burr), to rally behind Bill. So, she has a fling with Tony, natch. The only problem is that when Tony decides he's made a mistake, the unlikely lovers don't see eye to eye, and she grabs a gun …
German-born Gerd Oswald, the son of director Richard Oswald, made his first foray into the noir genre with 1956's "A Kiss Before Dying" and worked with Anita Ekberg on three noir movies. He also directed "The Outer Limits" and "The Fugitive" TV shows. "Crime of Passion" may not be the director's finest film, but it's still strong storytelling – well paced with compelling performances and visually engaging cinematography by Joseph LaShelle. Stanwyck was 50 and Hayden 41; it's fun to watch these two old pros reeling off their lines and riffing with Burr, of "Perry Mason" TV fame.
I've seen some harsh online assessments of "Crime of Passion." Sure, it has its flaws (55 years later, parts of it might seem stilted and corny) but it's still a lot of fun and has some pretty biting social commentary to boot.
If you judge a work of art (or entertainment) from the past by contemporary standards, it's easy for it to fail. A girdle from 1957 didn't have Lycra; that doesn't mean it didn't do the job.


text:
ww3 scenario maybe?
DespotMilan, in Scenarios
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text:
Floods, disease and deadly wildlife aside, words like "nature" and "natural" usually suggest inherent goodness.
Small wonder food manufacturers and retailers love to use the terms, leaving our imaginations to conjure images of beef cattle gambolling in open fields and cherry-cheeked grandmothers tucking loaves of bread into wood-fired ovens.
But when it comes to what we put in our stomachs, does "natural" mean anything?
"To me, (the word) means minimally processed foods," says Ottawa registered dietitian Jacqueline Tetreault.
That definition accords with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's regulation governing use of the term: "Foods or ingredients of foods submitted to processes that have significantly altered their original physical, chemical or biological state should not be described as 'natural.'"
In Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising, the CFIA lists a mother lode of processes — from grating and grinding to bleaching (with chemical addition) — that eliminate a product from being termed natural.
Adding vitamins, artificial flavouring and other items to a product or to its individual ingredients also means the food can't be called natural, says the agency.
However, it also cautions that nature, natural, Mother Nature and Nature's Way are terms "often misused on labels and in advertisements. Advertisements should not convey the impression that 'nature' has, by some miraculous process, made some foods nutritionally superior to others or has engineered some foods specially to take care of human needs."
When it comes to nutrition and health, Tetreault says, "I don't see any real difference between natural foods and other food. There's food that says it uses natural ingredients, but if it uses natural cane sugar instead of refined sugar, it doesn't make any difference because they're both not good for you."
And if you think that eggs from "naturally raised" chickens are any more nutritious than those from birds housed in factory-like barns, think again: a 2007 study by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Marketplace found minimal nutritional differences between free-range and other types of eggs.
To complicate things, consumers sometimes conflate "natural" and "organic," says Ottawa dietitian Elizabeth Mansfield.
But whereas the former is a vague term that mostly means the absence of certain processes or additives, in Canada organic is a federally regulated label requiring certification of products.
Conflation means that natural foods sometimes enjoy the "halo effect" of organic products, says Mansfield. We assume that because organic products are free of pesticide and herbicide residues and therefore better for us, so are natural foods.
In fact, there's no hard evidence that the minimal residues on non-organic products are harmful or that organically produced food is any more nutritious.
There is also no guarantee that a natural product is free of, or even low in, those two ingredients manufacturers love to add: sugar and sodium. Sugar is a culprit in the surge of obesity in North America, while excess salt can cause high blood pressure and increase the risk of strokes.
The CFIA allows the addition of salt and certain other ingredients without altering the product's claim to be natural. However, the list of ingredients must mention them.
"(Natural) is one of those grey areas" when it comes to describing foods, says Michael Kaplan, co-owner of Ottawa's Rainbow Natural Foods. "There's no real definition of it. We try to avoid (selling) refined foods, anything with artificial flavour, colours. We lean toward organic food."
Although he has no hard and fast definition of natural, Kaplan says what his store sells has to "meet our standards."
Whether or not you go to the trouble and extra expense of tracking down natural foods, do look for products that meet the recommendations of Canada's Food Guide. Whole grains, for example, provide fibre, are typically low in fat, and may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
"There's a lot of food you can buy at big grocery stores that's fine," says Tetreault, who does much of her shopping in mainstream food stores. "Stick to the perimeters of the store — that's where the dairy and produce, fresh meat, whole grain breads are. Buy less of what's in packages."


text:
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 21, 2012
Artisan Business Group is to host the 3rd National EB-5 Investment Boot Camp in San Francisco July 19, 2012.
The all-day conference will feature EB-5 industry experts and VIP guests, including Ms. Hong Yu, US Project Manager of Wailian Overseas Consulting Group in China, Kevin Wright, President of Wright Johnson LLC, Brian Su, CEO of Artisan Business Group, Inc., Joseph McCarthy, Partner, McAdam & McCarthy, Michael Homeier and Jor Law with Homeier and Law, John Jiang, CEO of Micon International, Reid Thomas, Executive Vice President at NES Financial, Brian Rowbotham, Partner & CPA, Rowbotham & Company LLP, Chris Nolan, Founder & CEO 90,000 Feet, Thomas Shou, Principal SinoTrans International and Jill Jones, Senior Attorney with NES Financial.
"Everyone wins with the EB-5 program – cities and regions benefit from economic growth through creation of new jobs, businesses obtain a source of inexpensive and available capital, and foreign investors get a path to immigration," says Joseph C. McCarthy, an immigration attorney speaking at the conference. "This event will educate developers and other business executives about availability of foreign capital through EB-5 regional center program," says Brian Su, host of the boot camp.
The 3rd National EB-5 Investment Boot Camp will bring international EB-5 investment professionals, as well as those inexperienced with the EB-5 program, a great opportunity to learn more about foreign investment and network with experts in the field. Those not attending will miss a rare chance to make connections and develop strong relationships with some of China's top EB-5 emigration agents.
This year's event is being hosted and sponsored by Artisan Business Group, Inc. The San Mateo Marriott San Francisco will serve as the venue for the conference. Attendees also have the opportunity to meet with Artisan Business Group's CEO, Mr. Brian Su, for a 1-hour private consultation the day before the event.
For more information regarding the event, registration, or a private consultation with Mr. Su, please visit: http://www.EB5BootCamp.org.
Press Contact:
Mr. Brian Su
Artisan Business Group, Inc.


text:
20th May, 2017 – Auckland, New Zealand – Leading hospitality distribution technology specialist, STAAH, launches ReviewMinder to help brands manage their online reputation.
A cloud-based application, ReviewMinder by STAAH enables accommodation providers to efficiently track, analyse and manage their property reputation. Its excellent feature set includes the ability to centralise your reviews from a number of major websites in one location; sort reviews by date, keywords, sentiment and channel partners; and email customers directly to request for reviews.
"With more than 83% of users referencing reviews before making a booking*, the impact of online reviews on businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector can hardly be ignored," says STAAH's founding director, Gavin Jeddo.
"Because consumers are interacting with these online reviews throughout their booking journey, it is important for businesses to make sure guest feedback is easy to find and showcased at every step of the booking process – and even after departure. ReviewMinder is an easy enabler of this process and is designed to put you in a position to take control of your brand's online reputation."
ReviewMinder constantly monitors reviews from a number of major sites, including Google, TripAdvisor, Agoda, Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com, CTrip, MakeMyTrip and Goibibo. New reviews are available on an intuitive dashboard, which gives you the ability to sort, analyse, respond and share reviews as appropriate. You can even send direct and completely customisable emails to guests welcoming them to your property and requesting for feedback.
Another powerful feature of ReviewMinder by STAAH is actionable insights. By using this application and accompanying analytics, property owners can increase quality performance, revenue, profitability and turn user generated content into a competitive advantage.
ReviewMinder by STAAH is available for use by hospitality and tourism businesses around the world.
* TripAdvisor Research.
About STAAH Ltd
STAAH Limited is a New Zealand-based technology company that specialises in cloud-based channel management and booking engine for accommodation providers to maximise online revenue. Founded by Gavin Jeddo in 2008, a pioneer in the field of distribution technology, STAAH's industry-leading technology powers a property's distribution through online travel agencies (OTA), direct bookings and digital marketing services.
For more information visit: staah.com
• Processing more than 700,000** room nights every month (4.5 million bookings** annually) for more than 3500 accommodation providers**.
• More than 200 integrations** with OTAs, GDS, payment gateways and other critical suppliers to power the distribution.
** STAAH 2016 Data
Media Contact
Company Name: STAAH
Contact Person: Edwin Saldanha
Email: email@example.com
Phone: +64 9 4801 8184
Address:Unit F3, 27 – 29 William Pickering Drive
City: Rosedale
State: Auckland 0632
Country: New Zealand
Website: http://www.staah.com/


text:
To sum up IBM's eServer offerings is a daunting task. Big Blue's four server lines span more than 10 processor types and a dozen operating systems, with some systems more easily categorized than others. To get a sense of its size, consider that IBM's xSeries line is one of four; yet, in and of itself, it is nearly three times the size of Dell's entire server stable.
IBM's market share reflects the breadth of its offerings. According to IDC's sales numbers for the fourth quarter of 2003, Big Blue owned 37.9 percent of the market based on whopping 17.7 percent year-to-year worldwide revenue growth.
IBM's divides its offerings into four distinct server lines, which makes navigating its myriad of offerings easier. As our initial IBM server snapshot (published in October 2003) detailed the basics of each line, this Server Snapshot focuses on what has changed in the past seven months and where each line is going.
Recent Server Snapshots
Sun Microsystems
In a nutshell: The iSeries are POWER-run, OS/400-based servers; the pSeries is fueled by AIX and Linux on POWER; the xSeries covers Intel; and zSeries system are mainframes that thrive in scale-up environments.
In recent months, the lines in the portfolio have begun to blur, bringing strategies pioneered by Louis Gerstner in 1993 to bear. "His vision," iSeries Product Marketing Manager Ian Jarman told ServerWatch, "was to exploit our technology portfolio more broadly across the company." The pending technological convergence of the pSeries and iSeries server lines is but one example. This open technology focus means some new servers will transcend the four current eServer categories, as is the case with the i5 520 and i5 570.
The chart below is an updated version of the chart that appeared in our original IBM Server Snapshot. Offerings added since October 2003 appear in bold; offerings being supported but no longer sold are italicized; and offerings that have been retired are listed in table footnotes.
|Midrange servers
|Unix servers
|Intel processor-based servers
|Mainframe-class servers
|Target Deployment
|SMBs and enterprise departments
|Data centers of all sizes
|Scale up and scale out x86 users
|Large and midsize enterprises running mission-critical apps with no tolerance for downtime
|Processor Type
JS20: PowerPC 970
|P4, Xeon, Itanium-2
|16 chip IBM Multichip Module (MCM)
Multiple-channel subsystem (MCSS) allows logical partitions (LPARs) which can run different operating systems
|Processor Range
|Small to Medium: 1- to 2-way;
Medium/Large: 6- to 24-way
1- to 4-way
Midrange: 2- to 16-way;
High-End: 8- to 32-way
|Rack-Optimized: 1- to 4-way,
Tower: 1- to 4-way,
High-Performance scalable: 4 to 16-way
|2 to 4 logical channel subsystems
|Operating Systems
|i5 (V5R3), OS/400 V5R2, Windows, Linux, AIX-5L
|AIX-5L, Linux
|Windows, Linux, AIX, MVS, x86 operating systems
|z/OS, z/OS.e, OS/390, Linux on zSeries, z/VM, TPF, VSE/ESA
|Small to Medium:
800, 810
Medium to Large:
825, 870, 890,
i5 520, i5 5701
650, 655, 670, Cluster 1600, RS/6000 SP
305, 306, 335, 343, 345, 360, 365, 382
205, 206, 225, 235, 2552
High-Performance Scalable:
4453, 450, 4554
990, 900, 800 5
|Price Range6
|Small to Medium: $24,281 to 349,515
Medium to Large: $574,224 to $2 million
|Entry:: $5,095 to $15,820
Midrange: $26,895 and up
High-End: Contact IBM
|Rack-optimized: $1,129 to $9,999
Tower: $499 to $4599
High-Performance scalable: Contact IBM
|z890: Starts at less than $200,000
Others: Contact IBM
2Five pSeries models have been retired from market since October 2003: the 610 6C1 and 6E1, the 640 B80, and the RS/6000 43P and 44P.3The xSeries line also includes the BladeCenter product family: HS20, a 2-way Intel blade, HS40, a 4-way Intel blade, JS20, a 2-way PowerPC 970 blade, the BladeCenter (Chassis), and the BladeCenter T (Telecom Chassis); a variety of storage products and telecommunications servers, and the IBM Cluster 1350. IBM's Opteron offering, the eServer 325, is also officially sold out of its xSeries line.
4 The 445 replaces the 440.
5 The zSeries line also includes the S/390 G5/G6 and S/390 Multiprise, which are no longer sold but are still supported.
6 Based on IBM's posted prices.
>> Line by Line


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A codpiece (from Middle English: cod, meaning "scrotum") is a covering flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's trousers and usually accentuates the genital area. It was held closed by string ties, buttons, or other methods. It was an important item of European clothing in the 15th and 16th centuries, and is still worn in the modern era in performance costumes for rock music and metal musicians and in the leather subculture while an Athletic cup protects in a similar fashion.
From the ancient world there are extant depictions of the codpiece; for example, archaeological recovery at Minoan Knossos on Crete has yielded figurines, some of which wear a codpiece.[1] Most of what is objectively known about the cut, fit, and materials of Renaissance clothing is learned from realistic portraits, clothing inventories, descriptive receipts for payments of artifacts, or tailors' cutting guides.[2] In the 14th century, men's hose were two separate legs worn over linen drawers, leaving a man's genitals covered only by a layer of linen. As the century wore on and men's hemlines rose, the hose became longer and joined at the centre back but remained open at the centre front. The shortening of the cote or doublet resulted in under-disguised genitals, so the codpiece began life as a triangular piece of fabric covering the gap.
As time passed, codpieces became shaped and padded to emphasize rather than to conceal, reaching their peak of size and decoration in the 1540s before falling out of use by the 1590s. Armor of the 16th century followed civilian fashion, and for a time armored codpieces were a prominent addition to the best full harnesses. A few of these are on display in museums today: the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has one, as does the Higgins Armory[3] in Worcester, Massachusetts; the armor[4] of Henry VIII in the Tower of London has a codpiece. In later periods, the codpiece became an object of the derision showered on outlandish fashions. Renaissance humorist François Rabelais jokingly refers to a book titled On the Dignity of Codpieces in the foreword to his book The Histories of Gargantua and Pantagruel.[5]
Through the same linguistic route, cods became a modern slang term for the male genitalia.
In contemporary culture[edit]
Subcultural attire[edit]
Resembling codpieces, jock straps made of leather can be worn in leather subcultural attire to cover and confine the genitals of a man, sometimes while wearing leather chaps. Rather than accentuating the male genitalia through exaggeration of the size of the wearer's endowment, attention can be drawn through decorative adornment such as metallic studs.
Heavy metal fashion[edit]
The codpiece crossed over from the leather subculture to become an established part of heavy metal fashion performance costume when Rob Halford, of the band Judas Priest, began wearing clothing adopted from the gay biker and leather subculture while promoting the Killing Machine (AKA Hell Bent for Leather) album in 1978.[6] Ian Anderson, frontman for Jethro Tull, wore a codpiece during his performances in the mid-1970s. Gene Simmons of the American rock band Kiss often wore black and silver costumes with codpieces. Shock rock performer Blackie Lawless, leader of the group WASP, wore a codpiece that featured a saw blade. Heavy metal singer King Diamond has been known to wear a codpiece as part of his performance outfits. Electric Six lead singer Dick Valentine can be seen wearing a brightly flashing codpiece in the music video for the band's 2003 hit single "Danger! High Voltage". Metal singer Till Lindemann of Rammstein occasionally wears codpieces on stage.
Black metal musician and Satanist Infernus wore a codpiece as part of his attire during the Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam era of Gorgoroth. William Murderface from the cartoon series Metalocalypse also wears a codpiece on several occasions. Alice Cooper regularly wears bright red codpieces in concert. GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus wears a codpiece called The Cuttlefish of Cthulhu.
Pop music[edit]
Tom Jones wore codpieces during concerts, and the lead singer of 1980s music group Cameo Larry Blackmon wore a large, bright-red codpiece in all of his performances, which was his trademark. Cameo's frontman sports a codpiece in his videos "Word Up" and "Candy". Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose wore a codpiece for most of the Appetite for Destruction Tour.
See also[edit]
- ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2007. Knossos fieldnotes, Modern Antiquarian.
- ^ Grace Q. Vicary, Cultural Anthropology, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Feb., 1989), Visual Art as Social Data: The Renaissance Codpiece, pp. 3-25.
- ^ John Grabenstein, http://www.higgins.org .
- ^ David Edge, Arms and Armor of Medieval Knights: An Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages.
- ^ "Worlds of the Renaissance 2000 - Dina McArdle Project". Albertrabil.com. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
- ^ [1][dead link]
Further reading
- Ashelford, Jane: The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500–1914, Abrams, 1996. ISBN 0-8109-6317-5.
- Ashelford, Jane. The Visual History of Costume: The Sixteenth Century. 1983 edition (ISBN 0-89676-076-6), 1994 reprint (ISBN 0-7134-6828-9).
- Edge, David: Arms and Armor of Medieval Knights: An Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages.
- Hearn, Karen, ed. Dynasties: Painting in Tudor and Jacobean England 1530–1630. New York: Rizzoli, 1995. ISBN 0-8478-1940-X.
- Bodemer, Brett: "Pantagruel's Seventh Chapter:The Title as Suspect Codpiece."
External links[edit]
- Media related to Codpieces at Wikimedia Commons


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Good Read – The Sisters Brothers
The Sisters Brothers
by Patrick deWitt
Buy this book on Amazon
(Your purchase supports WKMS!)
Product Description:
With The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable comic tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of characters–losers, cheaters, and ne'er-do-wells from all stripes of life–and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love.
Matt Markgraf says:
I read this on the spurs from this year's great western flicks: True Grit and Cowboys vs. Aliens. The Sisters Brothers is a sharp-tongued, gallows humor bloodbath that goes down smooth and strong like fine brandy. It's Quentin Tarantino absurdism, following around Charles and Eli Sisters, two hired gunslingers on a mission to hunt down Herman Kermit Warm. I was often shocked by the brothers' punishing sense of justice and judgment, yet I found myself nodding along, ensnared by the not so fair-handed reasoning of Eli Sisters. The Wild West was a free-for-all and the Sisters had an oddly charming way of collecting their entitlements. The emotion and action in this story is finely, finely tuned. You will hate the brothers, love them and most of all be absolutely riveted by the story's poignancy.


text:
A southeast Asian dish consisting of fish, prawns, tofu and noodles in a coconut milk soup base.
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Place noodles in pan of boiling water and cover pan. When soft, remove and run under cold water. Set aside.
Spray wok with cooking spray and heat. Add garlic and tofu. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly browned. Add all but 2 tablespoons spring onions, fish and laksa paste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add bok choy and prawns. Cook until bok choy has slightly wilted. Add coconut milk and water. Simmer for 5 minutes or until cooked.
Divide noodles between 4 serving bowls. Spoon liquid evenly over noodles. Garnish with remaining spring onions. Serve immediately.


text:
Bahtinov Focusing Mask Generator
Designing a mask using drawing, design, or CAD software can be challenging, as the specifics of the mask change for each telescope based on aperture, focal length, and how you plan to attach the mask to the scope. This generator makes generating masks significantly easier - simply
enter some parameter values specific to your telescope on the next page, press the Generate! button, and out pops an SVG file with your design.
You can save that SVG file and load it into an SVG editor (e.g., Inkscape, OpenOffice, GIMP) for printing (or further tweaking). Note: While using the browser to preview the SVG is useful in understanding the effect of changing parameters, I no longer recommend printing these directly from the browser. Testing larger aperture designs yielded printed masks that were increasingly "off" - also sometimes known as "wrong."
Besides, there's no way to print masks that are larger than the physical page directly from the browser.
Note that the values entered are actually stored in the SVG as XML comments - you can open SVG files with any text editor to view them - or, if you're viewing them in Firefox, right-click on the image and select "View Page Source."
No warranty, express or implied, yada, yada, yada....
All credit for the mask goes to Pavel Bahtinov for creating the design, and to Dennis Sakva for championing it on Cloudy Nights. Thanks, guys!
If you have questions, comments, issues, suggestions, or if you'd like to be notified when
the generator is updated, shoot an e-mail to david at astrojargon dot net.


text:
According to this new post from Maarten Balliauw, the latest version of the PHPLinq tool has been released - version 0.4.0.
PHPLinq is a class library for PHP, based on the idea of Microsoft's LINQ technology. LINQ is short for language integrated query, a component in the .NET framework which enables you to perform queries on a variety of data sources like arrays, XML, SQL server, ... These queries are defined using a syntax which is very similar to SQL.
Some illustrations are included - querying an array, performing a database query and finding data in an XML file. You can find out more about the tool and download this latest version from the project homepage.


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Forum rules | FAQ | Technical help | Announcements | New members start here
Who's next?
I think Japan is next.
Events in Ukraine have shaken those in Europe who once took for granted that the postwar territorial settlement would be respected by all its neighbours. In what promises to be a protracted western confrontation with Russia, the geostrategic assets represented by Greece are irreplaceable. Yet European leaders persist in discussing Greece's financial position as if its geopolitical allegiances were immutably settled. Events may yet prove them right. But it is a risky bet. It would be a tragedy if a narrow-minded analysis of the situation led them to place that wager accidentally.
- Standard & Poor's downgrades Greece's credit rating 1 notch further into junk territory
1. i have already done and prepared what I could with the limited resources i have.2. I need to preserve my sanity first and mostly.
Keep us in the loop as your sanity allows, greekman. Best wishes to you and yours for coming through this as comfortably as possible.


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April 25th at 9:00am
Ryan Case has been a licensed Realtor with Coldwell Banker for the past five years, and has worked in the Real Estate industry since 2007. Ryan Brings ten years of experience to the team, and is adept at handling any transaction, regardless of property type or price point. Grateful to pursue his passion for a living, Ryan is highly motivated, determined and hands on with each sale from beginning to end. As an extremely dynamic individual, he promptly attends to his clients' needs, while executing transactions with elite professionalism. He doesn't take his responsibilities lightly, genuinely enjoys the time spent working with clients and strives to make each client's experience a positive one.
Colonial Regency is a marvelous condo community that is located within minutes of stores, restaurants, and entertainment in West LA, California. Built in 1980, Colonial Regency is comprised of 16 luxury units. This complex offers several floor plans that feature spacious living areas and gourmet kitchens. Residents are drawn to Colonial Regency because of the fantastic amenities, the lovely views, and the great location. It is also just minutes from freeway access, public transportation, beaches, churches, the Nokia Theater, the Veterans Administration Medical Center, and UCLA. You will find many shopping venues along Santa Monica Boulevard. This community offers subterranean parking, inside laundry hookups, sauna, security, and controlled access.
[{"street_number":"11337", West LA, CA 90025
Get the value of your condo. Find out how to get the highest price for your home.Get Estimate
Start here to receive personalized listings and find your dream home today.Find a Condo
Learn more about the Ryan Case team and our commitment to you.Learn More
There are currently no available properties for sale at Colonial Regency. If you would like to be alerted via email when the next listing comes up for sale, simply fill in your contact information. With inventory being at historic lows across West LA, this is a great way to ensure you remain a step ahead of other buyers looking to buy in this same complex.


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CostumesTuesday, November 15th, 2011
Ballet's origins date back to the majestic era of the 15th century Italian Renaissance Courts. Ballet costumes during this period were made of extravagant cloths with heavy brocades, huge ornaments and head pieces that restricted movement. As a result, during the 18th century, a shorter version of ballet skirts was introduced and caught the attention of ballet critics and audiences alike. Ballerinas donned calf length ballet costumes accompanied by pointed satin shoes making it easier for them to perform. Men on the other hand, wore tights and long sleeved shirts. These shirts were usually covered with shorter jackets. The sleeves of the ballet costumes for men and women were determined upon by the theme of the ballet. As a result, there were various styles of ballet costumes, a tradition that can be seen even today!
South Bay Ballet's elaborate Nutcracker costumes – from Mother Ginger's immense skirt that conceals a dozen children underneath to Dream Clara's multilayered tutu embellished with hundreds of crystals – were created under the original direction of celebrated local set designer, Jenny Tomich. The fanciful costumes were brought to life for the inaugural 2004 performance by many trained hands headed by Diane Padelford, Diane Fresquez and Janelle Ozeran. Each season, most of the costumes receive small makeovers as parts begin to wear and fray; as well as new costumes fashioned for South Bay Ballet's ever-increasing company of dancers. Measuring, cutting, sewing, ironing, and fitting an array of tutus, vests, jackets, coats and dresses, takes hundreds of hours of work by our faithful volunteers.


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Introducing Linux into the Enterprise
Those of us who use Linux on a daily basis greatly appreciate its power and flexibility, not to mention its resistance to virus threats. Linux's raw performance, stability and incredible toolset all combine to make it an obvious choice for mission-critical servers in the enterprise. But in order to continue gaining acceptance into a primarily Microsoft world, we must continue to find ways to deploy Linux and exploit its robust capabilities, while at the same time help IT managers and system administrators realize its incredible benefits. This article discusses how our IT group was able to accomplish plugging Linux in to a once Windows-only environment and save thousands of dollars in the process. We look at using Linux as a platform for server consolidation, and if you stick with me, I promise to show you some cool tricks that will save you hours of work and subsequent administrative headaches.
If one can find a bright spot in the dot-com meltdown of 2000, it would have to be the renewed interest in emerging and cost-effective technologies. Server consolidation is one such technology that needed to be explored as a way to save money and keep businesses running--enter Linux and a special piece of software called GSX Server, from VMware Inc. in Palo Alto, California. VMware is not a newcomer to the Linux community, having released a workstation product several years ago that allows users to run multiple unique operating systems on a single computer, without the need to multiboot--an extremely useful tool for help desks and developers alike.
But VMware's GSX Server is quite a bit different from its workstation tool. Once installed, GSX runs on top of Linux, providing an environment that allows you to run multiple virtual server instances. In our case, we needed additional Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 servers to provide development and test environments for new projects. Because tighter budgets did not allow for buying additional hardware, we decided to take a serious look at VMware's GSX Server. Can this thing work? Can virtual servers really replace individual chunks of hardware and provide acceptable performance and stability? Both of these questions could be answered only through thorough testing of the product.
We began by building GSX test servers with Red Hat 7.0 and GSX version 1.1 on an NCR S50 (550MHz quad) and a couple of Compaq DL380 and DL580 servers (733MHz and up, dual and quad processor). Early testing on some older hardware demonstrated that virtual server performance was not up to par on hardware with less than 500MHz processors. But with hardware running at 550MHz and above, the performance of our virtual servers proved to run at near native speed. Something to keep in mind when measuring performance is that virtual servers are accessible only to end users via remote access technology, such as VMware's included remote console, Microsoft Terminal Services or a product like pcAnywhere (my personal preference). As such, network latency needs to be taken into consideration when measuring virtual server performance. As for stability, there is a noticeable improvement as seen in fewer server crashes and blue screens while running Windows NT and 2000 servers in the GSX virtual environment. The real acid test, of course, is the end users. When they can't tell the difference and don't complain, life is good.
Needless to say, we were quite impressed with this technology and the performance of our virtual servers. We saved thousands of dollars on hardware by hosting six virtual servers on a single box, have less physical servers to administer and back up, and surprise--the virtual Windows instances are more stable than when installed directly on top of the physical hardware (fewer BSOD events; go figure).
Not long after we had begun testing the GSX 1.1 product, VMware offered to let us begin working with the newer 1.02 version of GSX Server. This allowed for testing of the new 2.4.x kernel in Red Hat 7.1 and provided for increased server memory from (2GB to 4GB) under the new GSX. Performance of the virtual servers and stability of the VMware remote console was much improved with the new version of GSX. In addition to the aforementioned improvements, we were also able to run additional virtual servers (now up to eight or more) due to the increase in maximum server memory.
Building a VMware GSX Server on top of Linux is easy. VMware offers a 30-day evaluation version that you can download from their web site and install. After completing a quick registration form where you provide your e-mail address and name, select the version appropriate to your distribution and download. For this article we will be using the RPM versions of GSX, but other packages are available for various distributions. Typically within minutes of registering with VMware, you will receive an e-mail with the 30-day license key attached.
As for your host server, you have a choice of Linux distributions, such as Red Hat, Caldera, Turbolinux and SuSE. During the installation of your particular distribution, you will want to consider a partitioning scheme similar to what is shown in Listing 1. The /var, /temp and /home partitions require additional space for log and temp files and, of course, the virtual instances themselves.
Listing 1. Partitioning Scheme
Because our servers came configured with 80GB of disk space that we set up in a RAID-5 array, we had a fair amount of disk space to work with. But in order to save additional disk space for the virtual servers, you may want to choose the custom build install option (Red Hat being the example here) and exclude unnecessary packages, such as games, multimedia, printing, DNS, laptop and so on. Be sure, however, to the include Apache, Samba, networking utilities, the X Window System, compilers and kernel source packages. Once the build is completed, copy the downloaded VMware files to the host server. You also should download the install and configuration documents from VMware's web site to refer to as we begin the GSX installation.
Working as the root user, first install the GSX engine as follows:
rpm -ihv vmware-gsx-1.0.3-1527.i386.rpm
The RPM packages will notify you of any missing dependencies you may need to resolve (a rare occurrence). Once the RPM installation is completed, change directories to the /usr/bin directory and run the GSX installer script:
This is a Perl script that will walk you through the installation of the GSX engine. You will be prompted to answer several questions regarding network configuration and file location. When prompted, answer Yes to Bridged networking and No to Host Only. Accepting the defaults for file locations is fine. When you are prompted to enter a serial number to register the product, refer to the license information sent to you by e-mail. Next, GSX will determine if it has precompiled kernel modules appropriate for your particular distribution. If it does not find compatible modules, GSX will attempt to compile them for you, prompting you for the location of the kernel source files (now aren't you glad you installed them?). After the script has completed this portion of the installation, change back to the directory that you copied the GSX files to (I use the /root directory) and type:
tar -xzvf vmware-mui-1.0.3-1527.tar.gz
After the tar extraction completes, you will have a new directory with the name vmware-mui. Change to the /vmware-mui directory and type:
Yet another Perl script will begin installing the rest of the GSX package, including necessary Perl modules and additions to the Apache configuration for the web-based administration interface to GSX. Once the Perl script has completed, you will have a working version of the GSX Server running on top of Linux.
One additional package you may want to install is the vmware-console-1.0.3-1527.i386.rpm. This package allows you to use the graphical interface to build virtual instances locally on the Linux server rather than only from a remote console.
Now that we have all the VMware GSX goodies installed, we need to verify that GSX is running. From the command line, cd to the /etc directory and type rc.d/init.d/vmware status or service vmware status. You should receive verification that the vmware dæmon is running and that a single instance of vmnet is also running (vmnet is the virtual network bridge that allows our Windows instances to talk through the Linux hosts' hardware, eth0, etc.).
Finally, bring up a web browser and point it to the host server's name or IP address followed by port 8222 (see Figure 1).
You will be prompted to log in (as root) to the console where you will be greeted by a web interface. The GSX host console allows you to create new virtual servers and monitor existing ones as they run. You can also launch the remote consoles from within the web admin tool and log in to your virtual server instances once they are built. God love those geniuses at VMware.
All that is left to do is create servers in the new web console, then boot the virtual server to your install media. In the web console, click the New VM button to begin creating your virtual servers. You will need to provide a name for the instance, its location on the server (i.e., /home/vmware/win2k) and the amount of memory and disk space allocated to it. Be sure to enable networking and set video resolution to 8 bit (for better performance). Once the virtual instances have been created, place your bootable media in the appropriate drive on the host server and launch the GSX remote console. Just click the Power On button and watch the magic as a virtual computer comes to life, complete with Phoenix BIOS. If you are booting from CD, the next thing you will see is the installer program of the OS you have chosen. From this point on, it's business as usual.
So now it's time for some of those cool tricks I promised. Would you believe me if I said that you can build a complete Windows 2000 or NT 4.0 server in just a few minutes under GSX? Or, how about multiple servers at the same time in under an hour? Here's how it works. The first build of an operating systems in GSX takes the usual amount of time to complete and configure, but if you need multiple servers with the same base build or similar configuration, you can copy the files created after the initial build to subsequent virtual server directories. Simply create the new servers in the web admin console as before, copy the server files, then change a few lines of information (such as server name and the pointers to the new server's disk files, *.dsk) in a config file (i.e., win2000.cfg). After that, power on the new servers and change their IP address, machine name, etc. It's a good idea to tarball the files, name them appropriately and copy them off to a DLT, CD burner, etc. Now pat yourself on the back because you built multiple identical servers in minutes. At this point you can customize your servers to be SQL, web, e-mail, etc.
In addition, GSX gives you a fast way to build multiple servers and a much quicker way to recover from a serious crash. In the event of an unrecoverable OS failure (you were backing up, weren't you?), rather than having to rebuild the OS and then restore your data, copy the server files from the tarballs that you created. Now restore your data and calmly say to yourself, "life is really, really good".
So there you have it--a high-powered Linux server that can host as many virtual servers as you have the memory and the horsepower for. I encourage you to visit the VMware site and check out the GSX Server product (there is also an ESX Server product that runs directly on top of the hardware--no OS), and give the 30-day demo a spin. For our purposes, Linux combined with VMware's GSX Server have been a real blessing.
Jeffrey McDonald works as a systems engineer for a California-based Fortune 500 company. He has been working with Linux for the past five years and enjoys promoting Linux.
email: email@example.com