text:
Greenwich boys swimming team beats New Canaan, improves to 4-0
The Greenwich High School boys swimming team usually gains momentum as the season progresses and is at its absolute strongest during the postseason. Watching the Cardinals produce one impressive swim after another during Tuesday's meet against New Canaan, they appear to already be in championship form.
Thomas Dillinger and Alex Lewis each won two individual events for five-time defending FCIAC champion Greenwich, which improved to 4-0 on the season with a convincing 115-68 victory over visiting conference rival New Canaan.
"I thought we had a very solid meet from beginning to end," veteran Cardinals coach Terry Lowe said. "We pulled out some tough races and had some really good swims for this time of year."
Dillinger, a sophomore, won the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 48.68 seconds and took first in the 500 freestyle (4:57.43). He also helped power the Cardinals' winning 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams.
"The 200 was one of my best events today," Dillinger said. "I've been working on my kick a lot and it's starting to pay off. Today, we relied on our depth to win the meet and it worked out. Our team is looking very strong at this point of the season."
Stephen Skaperdas placed second in the 200 freestyle for a young New Canaan team, which is 1-2.
"We're still trying to figure out our whole team this year," Rams coach David Fine said. "To come out here against one of the best teams in the state was a good opportunity to see where we stand. By the end of the season, I think we will all be together."
More InformationFact box
Leading from the first lap, Lewis touched the wall first in the 100 freestyle (:49.86) and won the 100 backstroke (:55.42). New Canaan's Thomas Dunstan was the runner-up 100 freestyle (:51.05), while Greenwich's Jack Montesi placed second in the backstroke (:55.82).
"It's a great win for us," Lewis said. "Coach said it was going to be a close meet, so we're proud of ourselves that we came out on top by a lot. It takes good, hard swims to win a meet like this and we came through with those."
Junior Andrew Stotesbery (200 individual medley, 2:04.30) and sophomore Ed Moss (50 freestyle, :21.93) each won their respective events for the Cardinals, who led 43-19 entering the diving portion of the meet. Junior Julian Fraser (50 freestyle, :22.79), Montesi (100 butterfly, :55.06) and senior John Enquist (500 freestyle, 5:15.04) had second-place finishes for the victors.
"We have been training really hard, we had doubles over Christmas break and it's really been paying off," Dillinger said.
The Rams received a winning performance from junior Bobby Ross on the one-meter diving board. Ross earned an impressive score of 278.30 through six dives.
"He showed a lot of composure," Fine said. "He nailed his first dive and kept steaming along. Bobby has grown and matured mentally and I think, has the makings of a champion."
Junior diver Jeff Aselin finished second for Greenwich (260.50), earning scores of 7.5, 7, 8 on one of his back dives.
"We are super pleased with Jeff's diving, it was his best by 30 points," Lowe said. "He really took some of the best divers in the state today and put forth an impressive performance."
Skaperdas won the 100 butterfly (:54.60) and Ned Thunem finished first in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.91), followed by Stephan Pla (1:03.11) for the Rams. The Cards swept the relays, winning the 200 medley (1:41.52), the 200 freestyle (1:30.01) and the 400 freestyle (3:25.11).
"We have a few adjustments to make, but the team is doing really well so far," Lewis said. "Our young guys are gaining experience and have really been coming through for us."
email@example.com; 203-625-4423
200-yard medley relay -- 1. Greenwich (Alex Lewis, Andrew Stotesbery, Julian Fraser, Edward Moss) 1:41.52; 200 freestyle -- 1. Thomas Dillinger (G) 1:48.68; 200 individual medley -- 1. Andrew Stotesbery (G) 2:04.30; 50 freestyle -- 1. Moss (G) :21.93; Diving -- 1. Bobby Ross (NC) 278.30; 100 butterfly -- 1. Stephen Skaperdas (NC) :54.60; 100 freestyle -- 1. Alex Lewis (G) :49.86; 500 freestyle -- 1. Thomas Dillinger (G) 4:57.43; 200 freestyle relay -- 1. Greenwich (Ben Wurst, Julian Fraser, Thomas Dillinger, Ed Moss) 1:30.01; 100 backstroke -- 1. Alex Lewis (G) :55.42; 100 breaststroke -- 1. Ned Thunem (NC) 1:02.91; 400 freestyle relay -- 1. Greenwich (Ben Wurst, Matthew Fraser, Thomas Dillinger, Alex Lewis) 3:25.11.
Records: Greenwich 4-0; New Canaan 1-2.


text:
The Browser A Lament
Binstock: Still, you can't argue with the Web's success.
Kay: I think you can.
Binstock: Well, look at Wikipedia it's a tremendous collaboration.
Kay: It is, but go to the article on Logo, can you write and execute Logo programs? Are there examples? No. The Wikipedia people didn't even imagine that, in spite of the fact that they're on a computer. That's why I never use PowerPoint. PowerPoint is just simulated acetate overhead slides, and to me, that is a kind of a moral crime. That's why I always do, not just dynamic stuff when I give a talk, but I do stuff that I'm interacting with on-the-fly. Because that is what the computer is for. People who don't do that either don't understand that or don't respect it.
The marketing people are not there to teach people, so probably one of the most disastrous interactions with computing was the fact that you could make money selling simulations of old, familiar media, and these apps just swamped most of the ideas of Doug Engelbart, for example. The Web browser, for many, many years, and still, even though it's running on a computer that can do X, Y, and Z, it's now up to about X and 1/2 of Y.
Binstock: How do you mean?
Kay: Go to a blog, go to any Wiki, and find one that's WYSIWYG like Microsoft Word is. Word was done in 1984. HyperCard was 1989. Find me Web pages that are even as good as HyperCard. The Web was done after that, but it was done by people who had no imagination. They were just trying to satisfy an immediate need. There's nothing wrong with that, except that when you have something like the Industrial Revolution squared, you wind up setting de facto standards in this case, really bad de facto standards. Because what you definitely don't want in a Web browser is any features.
PowerPoint is just simulated acetate overhead slides, and to me, that is a kind of a moral crime.
Binstock: "Any features?"
Kay: Yeah. You want to get those from the objects. You want it to be a mini-operating system, and the people who did the browser mistook it as an application. They flunked Operating Systems 101.
Binstock: How so?
Kay: I mean, look at it: The job of an operating system is to run arbitrary code safely. It's not there to tell you what kind of code you can run. Most operating systems have way too many features. The nice thing about UNIX when it was first done is not just that there were only 20 system commands, but the kernel was only about 1,000 lines of code. This is true of Linux also.
Binstock: Yes.
Kay: One of the ways of looking at it is the reason that WYSIWYG is slowly showing up in the browser is that it's a better way of interacting with the computer than the way they first did it. So of course they're going to reinvent it. I like to say that in the old days, if you reinvented the wheel, you would get your wrist slapped for not reading. But nowadays people are reinventing the flat tire. I'd personally be happy if they reinvented the wheel, because at least we'd be moving forward. If they reinvented what Engelbart, did we'd be way ahead of where we are now.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Is it that time again? Yes. Yes, it is. Ask (or answer) burning tech queries, share your hacks and recipes and DIYs, or just talk foolishly amongst yourselves on any topic in the hackerverse. Any topic at all.
ANYWHOO, the Friday open threads also serve as an open house for Hackerspace, Lifehacker's reader-run sub-blog. Come in and play with us! Read this guide first, hang out for a while to get a sense of this place, write some posts on your personal Kinja, and ask to have them shared here. Then, ask for posting privileges of your very own!
[Image via Cute Animals]


text:
Bishops Announce Guidelines for Intercultural Competence in Ministry
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Cultural Diversity presented its guidelines on intercultural competence for ecclesial ministers at a special evening session to more than 40 bishops, staff and guests on Sunday, November 13, 2011, ahead of the bishops' General Meeting in Baltimore
The project took shape over the past three years in response to the bishops' pastoral priority on recognition of the cultural diversity in the church.
"Diversity in the Church is happening" said Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, California, chairman of the Cultural Diversity Committee. "The skills from the Cultural Competency Workshop will assist pastoral ministers to make it happen more effectively in their communities."
The guidelines are expressed in the form of competencies – knowledge, attitudes and skills – and are developed in a training workshop consisting of five learning modules, one for each guideline.
The five guidelines are: 1) Frame issues of diversity theologically in terms of the Church's identity and mission to evangelize; 2) Seek an understanding of culture and how it works; 3) Develop intercultural communications skills in pastoral settings; 4) Expand one's knowledge of the obstacles that impede effective intercultural relations; and 5) Foster ecclesial integration /inclusion in Church settings, with a spirituality if reconciliation and mission.
The guidelines are explicitly linked to the universal Church's focus on the New Evangelization and are expressed in the form of competencies that enhance one's ability to effectively engage cultures as well as deal with cultural boundaries and relations.
Over the past year the program was piloted at three different locations for a select group of leaders in the (arch) dioceses of Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, Arlington, Des Moines and San Bernardino.
At the Sunday gathering, Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, and Auxiliary Bishop Rutilio del Riego of San Bernardino, California, gave enthusiastic endorsements of the program.
"The workshop introduced staff to the reality of diversity" Bishop Pates said."Our goal is to institutionalize this reality so we do not need these special occasions for the recognition of diversity".
Bishop del Riego spoke to the process of preparation, participation and follow up the Diocese of San Bernardino went through.Double the number of participants, from clergy to diocesan personnel, than originally planned responded to the diocesan bishops invitation to attend.
"The participants gave high marks to the contents and the presenters but, most of all, provided them with valuable ideas they could use immediately," Bishop del Riego said.
Workshop materials include an introductory DVD, a manual with content and methodology, a listing of best practices, a glossary of terms and other resources.Directors of several USCCB departments concerned with evangelization and catechesis, Catholic education, laity formation, and youth and young adult ministries, as well as representatives of national Catholic organizations like the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) attended.Others, such as the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministers (NFCYM) and the National Associations of Lay Ministers (NALM), have expressed a keen interest in intercultural competencies for ministers and the need to provide this kind of training for all Church personnel, teachers and pastoral agents in an increasingly diverse Church.
One of the main features of the guidelines is their insistence on connecting Catholic identity with cultural diversity.One of the participants in the San Bernardino pilot session, reflecting on the connection between intercultural competence and the New Evangelization, wrote: "The workshop is calling us Catholics to be more intentional about our Catholicism, to "re-propose" our faith in and for our U.S. culture."
The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity will now disseminate the guidelines and has identified several outcomes. One of the most important outcomes will be the creation of a core of workshop trainers available for service in the various Episcopal regions. They will be available to train diocesan and parish personnel/ministers in the five competencies. Training of trainers sessions will begin in the summer of 2012.
Keywords: diversity , culture, New Evangelization, Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, intercultural competencies, Bishop Jaime Soto, Bishop Richard Pates, Bishop Rutilio del Riego, Fall General Assembly, USCCB, United States Conference of Catholic Bishop
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text:
I don't quite understand the underlined sentences. Could anyone do me a favor?
Shaping a viewer's engagement with television, it follows, may be a deeply felt need for continuity as a kind of defence against the fears, worries or threats typically associated with an increasingly stressful world. Silverstone (1994) suggests that of the various genres of programming on television, it is the news which most clearly demonstrates 'the dialectical articulation of anxiety and security'. It is precisely this dialectical tension between the televisual new's creation of apprehension and its narrative resolution which encourages the viewer to find in the newscast a sense of reassurance.
Thanks a lot.
It means that news makes people worried but also reassures them by ending these disturbing stories. The tension is created then resolved.


text:
2101 - Elements of System Protection
- Course Delivery: On Demand
- Duration: 4
The objective of this module is to overview the function of protection schemes, including general protection philosophy and its impact on the operation of the system. After study of this course and the associated workbook, the participant should be able to understand the following overall concepts and apply them to his day-to-day work activities.
If you are taking this course for NERC credit, the following credits will be reported.
CE HOURS=4; OPS Topics=4; Standards=0; Simulation=0; EO=4
Course Objectives
Learning Objectives:
- Trainees will be able to describe the function of protection schemes in the context of the overall objective of an electric utility company.
- Trainees will be able to describe the nature and causes of faults, and be able to explain their likely resultant effects.
- Trainees will be able to describe the logic common to all types of relays and describe a typical relay-circuit breaker combination.
- Trainees will be able to describe various circuit breakers, in terms of their arc quenching media.
- Trainees will be able to describe the basic protection circuit, referring to relay inputs and the DC tripping circuit.
- Trainees will be able to describe common electrical diagrams, both for the power system and for control circuits.
- Trainees will be able to describe the principle of zone protection.
- Trainees will be able to explain what is meant by correct and incorrect performance of a protection scheme.
- Trainees will be able to describe factors that are used to determine the selection of protection schemes for particular applications.
Topics Covered
Segment A-1: Testing for reliabilitySegment A-2: Insulation resistance test 1Segment A-3: Insulation resistance test 2Segment A-4: Insulation resistance testing in practiceSegment A-5: The (DC high potential) Highpot testSegment B-1: Generator design and constructionSegment B-2: Stator testing 1Segment B-3: Stator testing 2Segment B-4: Stator testing 3Segment B-5: Rotor testingSegment C-1: Concept and principles of PDASegment C-2: Measuring PDASegment C-3: Coupler systems for PDASegment C-4: Interpreting PDA results 1Segment C-5: Interpreting PDA results 2Segment D-1: Transformer and condition monitoringSegment D-2: Transformer testingSegment D-3: The Doble test Segment D-4: Transformer winding testing Segment D-5: Electric motor and switchgear testing
End of Course Instructions
Congratulations on completing the course! Your credits earned on completion of this program will be reported to RCEP.net within 30 days of completion. Once we report your completion at RCEP.net, you will receive a certificate of completion provided by RCEP on the email address you have provided at the time of enrollment. Please keep the certificate for your record. You may be required to submit this certificate to the state to record your PDH or present it in case if you are audited. If you have any questions or concerns please contact customer service at http://www.360trainingsupport.com
Why Choose 360training.com?
- Fast and easy courses completion
- Get an education faster than at traditional colleges!
- 100% online - No classroom attendance required.
- Online customer support
- Over 500,000+ certified nationwide.


text:
It wasn't just Chip Kelly's innovative offense that garnered attention in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also raised eyebrows around the league with a science-based music selection for practices, personalized smoothies, heart monitors and customized sleep tests.
Kelly's latest cutting-edge wrinkles? Video podcasts and remote control coaching.
Sixth-round draft pick Ed Reynolds, unable to attend team meetings until after Stanford's graduation ceremony in June, told reporters the Eagles have recorded all rookie sessions and uploaded them to his iPod for full briefing.
While that practice is hardly revolutionary, Kelly has also found a peculiar way to simulate action during "Phase Two" of offseason workouts.
Seventh-round pick Beau Allen revealed late last week that Kelly introduced himself by running a remote control car into the behemoth nose tackle.
"I was sitting and waiting to go in and meet with (general manager Howie Roseman) and all the front office guys," Allen said, via Philadelphia Magazine, "and Coach Kelly was driving around a little remote control car -- they use it out on the field because they can't do motions -- and he drove it right into me and was like, 'Oh, hey Beau, how are you doing?' And I was like, 'Hey, Coach.'"
Can't do motions? As it turns out, there's a method to Kelly's remote-control madness.
During "Phase Two" of the offseason program, the offense and defense may not face each other in any of the drills.
Eagles blog Bleeding Green Nation offers a fascinating explanation of the remote control car simulating motion on offense so coaches can watch defensive players shift in reaction.
Good for Kelly. He has found a loophole that allows him to conform to the letter of the NFL's offseason laws while bridging the on-field knowledge gap.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks down the latest news and shares takeaways from rookie camps.


text:
Considering the name Kari for your next baby? The baby name Kari is of Aboriginal origin and means Smoke.. Kari is also found in at least 2 cultures and in some cases this baby name has additional meanings or alternative spellings. The alternative origins and meanings for this baby name are: In the Scandinavian culture, Kari means "Pure".
Some other baby names that visitors to our site have found related to this name are:
Please take a moment to rate the baby name Kari as your opinion matters and will help other visitors who are searching for the right name for their baby.


text:
Fr. Dwight Longenecker was raised in an Evangelical home in Pennsylvania. After graduating from college with a degree in Speech and English, he went to study theology at Oxford University and was ordained a an Anglican minister in England.
In 1995 Fr. Dwight and his family were received into the Catholic Church. Since then, he has become a prolific writer and author of twenty books, including Catholicism Pure & Simple, Quest for the Creed and The Mystery of the Magi.
In December 2006 he was ordained as a Catholic priest under the special pastoral provision for married former Anglican clergy. He now serves as Pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Greenville, South Carolina. Read his blog, browse his books and be in touch at dwightlongenecker.com.


text:
Tehran in new threat to close Strait of Hormuz
Paul Joseph Watson
January 24, 2013
Iranian Ambassador Hassan Danaie-Far says that the only way the United States can put a halt to Iran's nuclear program is by resorting to war, a move that would prompt the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil chokepoint.
"The only remaining card on the table is war. Is it to their benefit? Is it to the benefit of the world? Is it to the benefit of the region?" Danaie-Far told AFP, adding, "What else (US President Barack) Mr. Obama can do?"
The ambassador also reiterated threats made previously by Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a third of the world's oil passes, in response to any military action by the United States.
"If there is some movement and action from our enemies, including US, against us, as a part of natural reaction, that may happen," said Danaie-Far, warning that under such an eventuality, "Everybody would be a loser."
Last month, Iran denied that it was planning to close the Strait amidst six day naval drills centered in the geopolitically crucial region.
During the drills, Tehran was forced to warn off foreign surveillance planes that were attempting to keep tabs on the exercises on no less than 30 occasions.
Back in July, Iran's Major General Hassan Firouzabadi announced that Iran had finalized all the necessary preparations to close the Strait upon orders from Supreme Leader Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei.
False rumors that the Strait was closed have previously sent oil prices soaring. Experts have predicted that oil prices will surge to $300-$500 dollars a barrel if Iran closes the shipping channel in retribution for a US/Israeli attack on the country's nuclear facilities.
Washington has repeatedly warned that any closure of the Strait would represent a "red line" that would be catalyst for military action.
Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a host for Infowars Nightly News.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!


text:
Facts and figures
- A third of all small businesses visit a Post Office at least once a week
- Still offer essential services and company is beginning to adapt to modern economy
- Can provide additional revenue stream to other retail businesses, such as newsagents and convenience stores
- Subsidies available for rural and inner-city offices
- You need to apply for the role of sub-postmaster, for which previous customer-facing experience is ideal
- Franchise opportunities available
A British institution
With over 370 years of service, 17 million customer visits and approximately 47 million transactions per week, the humble British Post Office is the largest retail network and the largest financial services chain in the UK. Holding more branches than all of the UK's banks and building societies added together - with most of the UK population living within one mile of their nearest Post Office branch.
Over the last 30 years, the number of Post Offices in the UK has more than halved, although numbers in the last couple of years, since 2009 have remained stable. There were 25,000 Post Offices in the 1960s and this number has been in steady decline ever since, culminating in the government's announcement in 2006 that 2,500 branches - a fifth of the network - would close by 2009. Although that move sparked an outcry there were sound financial reasons behind it.
The government's protective instinct was evident when the annual £150m subsidy to help rural branches stay open was extended from 2008 to 2011
The vast majority (97%) of Post Offices are not run by Post Office Limited and are run by franchise partners or sub-postmasters/mistresses - private business people who often also run a retail business, such as a stationers or newsagents, on the same premises.
Post Offices in the Post Office Network stood at 11,648 at the end of June 2016.
Franchise – This opportunity involves adding a Post Office franchise to your already existing business. This will then replace the existing Post Office in your area.
Property and franchise – This option involves applying for a Post Office with either a leasehold or a freehold premises to purchase and develop.
Different types of Post Office
Post Office Main branch – These branches have the largest customer base and offer the widest range of services. They operate from a designated Post Office area and are not fused with any other business.
Post Office Local branches – Often in villages, high streets and parades these branches integrate Post Office services with retail businesses, the services can be offered from the same service point and operate during the same opening hours.
Community Post Offices – Serving customers at the heart of the community, these branches serve the community where there are no other suitable retailers.
The benefits
- No franchise fees
- Post Office investment, allowing you to modernise your store
- You get paid every time a Post Office customer makes a transaction
- The Post Office pays for the installation of all equipment and the counter to your business
- The Post Office offer training in your own branch to support both business and Post Office growth
Challenges facing the sector
Rural decline is among one of the challenges facing the sector. Many of the losses are expected to be in rural areas, unsurprising given that rural Post Offices are threatened by the same socioeconomic problems that are making some other rural businesses unviable: low incomes, a declining population and a seasonally variable population thanks to the preponderance of second homes.
Also, many of the services traditionally on offer at Post Offices can now be found online, thus negating the need for people to leave the house.
Nevertheless, there is clearly support for the Post Office network in the media and in politics, with many acutely aware that Post Offices are a crucial lifeline for vulnerable people across the country, as well as a well-respected provider of essential services for the general population. Opposition politicians, newspapers and lobby groups such as the National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP) are likely to ensure that government support for the remaining post offices, particularly in rural areas, continues for a while yet.
This protective instinct was evident when, to soften the blow of the closure announcements, the annual £150m subsidy to help rural branches stay open was extended from 2008 to 2011. This will help the government continue to meet its goal of having 90% of the population within three miles of a branch or six miles for those living in remote areas.
The government's determined reorganisation of the Post Office at least shows an acknowledgement that it needs to adapt, something also demonstrated by a recent deal with BT to offer broadband. And the company, despite its troubles, still sells more foreign currency than any other retailer, and is the third largest provider of travel insurance in the UK.
As well as the mainstays of bill payment, licensing, the National Lottery, and of course postage, the Post Office now brokers unsecured loans and offers credit cards too. Not all branches have taken advantage of the changes, but it is clear that in the right situations, and to people with an entrepreneurial mindset, they offer opportunities rather than threats.
It is worth remembering that Post Office services actually represent quite a small proportion of income for many sub-postmasters, for whom their Post Office counter is but one part of the business.
Post Office services can help attract customers who'll then spend money on other goods, such as alcohol, newspapers, confectionery or gift cards. The opportunity to supplement a wholly private retail venture with regular subsidies from the Post Office is what attracts many people to the sector.
According to the NFSP, "sub-postmasters are not employees of the Post Office Ltd, but act as agents contracted to provide services on behalf of the Post Office Ltd." The Post Office pays the sub-postmaster a fixed payment together with a supplement according to how many transactions pass over the counter.
Having a guaranteed regular payment from the Post Office to supplement your income offers you a stability that most other businesses just cannot offer. In a sense, you have an income security associated more readily with franchising yet, because the Post Office need only be one part of your business, you still have complete autonomy over your pub, convenience store or whatever the primary business is.
What it takes to be a good postmaster
Not everyone is suited to the job – and it's worth noting that the Post Office don't award branches to just anyone. Most sub-postmasters are entrepreneurial, with a background in a customer-facing industry.
Postmasters should also be willing to engage with their local communities and have the wherewithal to patiently explain banking, insurance, postage and other often complicated services to the general public.
It's no wonder that people with experience in retail areas such as banking make up a high proportion of buyers. Previous experience running a business is also vital, as well as a decent degree of computer literacy.
The Post Office prefers applicants who are both stable and mature. Running a Post Office branch carries more responsibilities than most businesses as you are legally responsible for the delivery of registered letters and giros.
Vulnerable local people are dependent on your services and in remote areas the branch can be the bedrock of the community.
Essential skills
- Ability to hire staff and train a team
- Ability to communicate effectively
- Ability to motivate and manage your team
- Great customer service skills
- Strong conversational and listening skills
- Ability to quickly identify business opportunities
- Excellent business management skills
- Ability to promote Post Office products within your business
Adding a Post Office to your business
It can take anywhere between 7 months to a year from the moment you submit your application to your branch opening to the public.
If you meet the criteria the application process involves several checks, you will have to fill in an official application form, produce a business plan and present your plans to a member of the applications team.
Successful applicants are provided with comprehensive training, starting with time spent in the classroom. This will be followed by a couple of weeks of on-site training, including a day with an experienced sub-postmaster.
Buying a pre-existing Post Office
You cannot specifically buy a Post Office on its own, and if you wish to buy a business with a Post Office, the Post Office will make the final decision on whether the buyer can operate a Post Office through their usual appointment process.
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for a *free* BusinessesForSale.com account to receive the latest small business advice, features, videos and listings directly to your inbox!


text:
One of the many pleasures of working at Pivotal Labs is that we are encouraged to release some of our work as open source. Often during the course of our engagements, we write code that might have wide-spread use. Due to the nature of our contracts, we can not unilaterally release such code. Those rights belong to the client. And rightly so. So, it is an even greater pleasure when one of our clients believes in "giving back" to the community, as well.
One such example is this modest gem,
attribute_access_controllable which allows you to set read-only access at the attribute level, on a per-instance basis. For example, let's say that you have a model
Person with an attribute
birthday, which, for security purposes, cannot be changed once this attribute is set (except, perhaps, by an administrator with extraordinary privileges). Any future attempts to change this attribute will result in a validation error.
> alice = Person.new(:birthday => '12/12/12')
=> #<Person id: nil, attr1: nil, created_at: nil, updated_at: nil, read_only_attributes: nil, birthday: "0012-12-12">
> alice.attr_read_only(:birthday)
=> #<Set: {"birthday"}>
> alice.save!
=> true
> alice.birthday = "2012-12-12"
=> "2012-12-12"
> alice.save!
ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid: Validation failed: Birthday is invalid, Birthday is read_only
> alice.save!(:skip_read_only => true)
=> true
Setting this up is trivial, thanks to a Rails generator which does most of the heavy lifting for you.
rails generate attribute_access Person
After that, you need only know about one new method added to your class:
#attr_read_only(*attributes) # Marks attributes as read-only
There are a few others, but this one, plus the new functionality added to
#save and
#save! will get you quite far.
And if that's all that you were looking for when you stumbled across this article, then there's no need to read any further. Go install the gem and have fun (and may your tests be green when you expect them to be).
From customer requirements to releasable gem
On the other hand, if you are interested in how we got from the original customer story to a releasable open sourced gem, read on. The source code for the module is a mere 34 lines long. It implements 2 new methods, a validator and (gently) overrides
#save and
#save!. Being good Test Driven Developers, we wrote our specs first, and since we wanted this behavior to be included in several models, we wrote our specs as a shared behavior as well. The spec clocks in at 44 lines, slightly longer than our implementation. All in all, tiny. The whole commit was less than 100 lines of code.
it should behave like it has AttributeAccessControllable
#attr_read_only(:attribute, ...) marks an attribute as read-only
#read_only_attribute?(:attribute) returns true when marked read-only
#read_only_attribute?(:attribute) returns false when not marked read-only (or not marked at all)
#save! raises error when :attribute is read-only
#save!(:context => :skip_read_only) is okay
#save is invalid when :attribute is read-only
#save(:context => :skip_read_only) is okay
In order to get to something "releasable" we needed a few more things, which we put on our To-Do list:
To do
- MIT License
- A gem specification
- Basic documentation in a README file
The list got longer as we fleshed out both the documentation and the integration tests, as you'll see in a moment, but first, let's talk about
Getting the legal issues resolved
Pivotal's open sourcing policy is straightforward and simple to execute; We don't touch it. We write code for our clients, it's their code to do with as they please. My particular client liked the work we did for them and thought it would make a great open source gem. The Director of Engineering signed off on the idea and I paired with him to create the github repository during a lunch break. The first commit was tiny, just a basic directory structure and the existing code. I don't think the tests passed because they lacked a proper RSpec infrastructure.
Creating the gem
bundler gem DIRECTORY
is your best friend. It set up the layout for us, including an MIT License and a gem specification. It had a boilerplate README, too.
Writing the documentation for the code you wished you had
Next, we wrote a draft of the README file which documented what we knew: You needed a migration to create a column called
:read_only_attributes and you needed to include the module into the class. Then we started thinking about the pain points of using our code as is. Wouldn't it be nice if we could create the migration automatically? Rails generators do that sort of thing, how hard could it be? (Famous last words…) It became clear that we needed to test drive out some new features of the gem that supported the actual module.
To do
MIT License A gem specification Basic documentation in a README file
- Integration test
I am not a big cucumber fan, but…
Really, I'm not. I used to write Cucumber features all the time, but nowadays, I use a combination of RSpec and Capybara to get most of my day-to-day integration testing done. There is, however, one sweet spot for Cucumber that I'm finding more and more useful; A very high-level document that describes essential features in a way that a reader will say, "Ahhh, so that is how it is supposed to work!" Here's a copy of the spec I wrote:
Feature: Read only attributes
Scenario: In a simple rails application
Given a new rails application
And I generate a new migration for the class "Person"
And I generate an attribute access migration for the class "Person"
And I have a test that exercises read-only
When I run `rake spec`
Then the output should contain "7 examples, 0 failures"
You probably won't find any web-steps out there to handle these lines. I use Aruba to handle the dirty work of executing shell commands in a safe sandbox-y way. The step definition file hides most of the ugliness. Even so, most readers could figure out what to do, by hand, for each step.
To do
MIT License A gem specification Basic documentation in a README file Integration test
- Generator
Big generators
This gem was my first attempt at writing a generator, so it was awkward. I still don't understand Thor properly. Fortunately, I happened upon Ammeter, which helped me write out test specs for the generator. If you've got good specs, then you can sometimes stumble along until you learn enough to get it right. Alex Rothenberg's original blog post about the gem was quite informative, as were the test cases from the Devise gem.
I have to admit; constructing the generator was more complex than the original module! There are more "moving parts;" templates, usage files, specs, in addition to the generator itself. So there is a certain amount of overhead that might overwhelm the original content. On the other hand, I learned quite a bit, and the gem is far more useful.
require "spec_helper"
require 'generators/attribute_access/attribute_access_generator'
describe AttributeAccessGenerator do
before do
Rails::Generators.options[:rails][:orm] = :active_record
describe "the migration" do
before { run_generator %w(Person) }
subject { migration_file('db/migrate/create_people.rb') }
it { should exist }
it { should be_a_migration }
it { should contain 'class CreatePeople < ActiveRecord::Migration' }
it { should contain 'create_table :people do |t|'}
it { should contain 't.text :read_only_attributes'}
describe "the class" do
before { run_generator %w(Person) }
subject { file('app/models/person.rb') }
it { should exist }
it { should contain 'include AttributeAccessControllable' }
Some interesting things to note; you must
require the generator, since it is not pulled in by default. The subject of each suite is a file, not the class
AttributeAccessGenerator. The
migration_file helper prepends the TIMESTAMP onto the migration file for you. If you need to set up more things for your test,
destination_root is a helper with a path to the temporary directory. It remains after the tests have run, which makes it useful when debugging.
Here's something else that I did not know, but it might help new generator writers; the order in which you define your methods in the generator class is significant. I don't know how this is done, but each "method" in the generator class is executed in turn. This is important for my generator; the model class definition must exist before I inject the new content that mixes in the module, so I had to write the
generate_model method before the
inject_attribute_access_content method. I was scratching my head over that one for quite awhile.
require "rails/generators/active_record"
class AttributeAccessGenerator < ActiveRecord::Generators::Base
source_root File.expand_path('../templates', __FILE__)
def create_migration_file
if (behavior == :invoke && model_exists?)
migration_template "migration.rb", "db/migrate/add_read_only_attributes_to_#{table_name}"
migration_template "migration_create.rb", "db/migrate/create_#{table_name}"
def generate_model
invoke "active_record:model", [name], :migration => false unless model_exists? && behavior == :invoke
def inject_attribute_access_content
class_path = class_name.to_s.split('::')
indent_depth = class_path.size
content = " " * indent_depth + 'include AttributeAccessControllable' + "n"
inject_into_class(model_path, class_path.last, content)
To do
MIT License A gem specification Basic documentation in a README file Integration test Generator
- Shareable tests
Yo, I hear you like tests in your tests
Lastly, we want to share the testing love. The gem consumer should not have to write tests to drive out the same feature that we have already tested. That would not be very DRY. So, in order to make our shared behavior, er, um, shareable, we moved it into
lib with a few wrappers, namely, the
spec_support.rb file, which you can include in your own spec files to test drive adding the module to your own classes.
Which is where
And I have a test that exercises read-only comes in. You can see this in the
steps.rb file:
require 'spec_helper'
require 'attribute_access_controllable/spec_support'
describe Person do
it_should_behave_like "it has AttributeAccessControllable", :attr1
To do
MIT License A gem specification Basic documentation in a README file Integration test Generator Shareable tests
Don't be afraid to release v1.0.0
I am a strong believer in semantic versioning. I simply can not understand why some core ruby tools are still living in version zero land, even after years and years of development and use. So, after a couple of internal commits, we released v1.0.0 of the gem, and less than a day later released v1.1.0 and then v1.1.1! (You probably shouldn't use anything less than v1.1.1)
An interesting mix
In summary, we used a lot of tools and techniques to go from a simple commit to a shareable gem:
- Rails generators
- Cucumber
- Aruba
- Ammeter
- RSpec shared behaviors
- Integration tests
- Generator tests
- Module tests
I encourage everyone to release as much of their work as possible because it raises the state of the art for us all. There are limits, of course, but that still affords lots of wiggle room. Small gems like
attribute_access_controllable won't change the world, but they ease the pain of staying DRY and we all get to learn a little something.
To Social Chorus for choosing to open source this code. And to Pivotal Labs for encouraging a better way to do software engineering.
About the Author


text:
|June 2011
The child-sized stone—a ledger stone or perhaps a table stone fallen from its legs—was never meant to stand erect. Its entire face is filled by inscription, epitaph, and finally, the carver's signature, John Strickler.
The gravestone for Joanna H. Winters (d. 1836) is easier to read without grasses and such growing between the fragments. Still, it is worth the effort to remember this child by reconstructing the sentiments on her gravestone.
|October 2011
Infant daughter of Rev.
Thomas H. & Harriet
Winters who departed this
life Decr 8th, 1836 aged
6 months & 16 days.
Look carefully at the end of her name. At first glance, I thought the spelling was Joannah. Finally I noticed carved punctuation and decided it is meant to read Joanna H.
|October 2011
Filling in the broken and hidden bits with the text from the hymn that is the source ("Death of a Child" by Joel Assac Knight), the epitaph reads,
Alas! How chang'd that lovely flow'r;
Which bloom'd and cheer'd my heart;
Fair fleeting comfort of an hour;
How soon we're call'd to part.
From adverse blasts, and lowering storms
Her favoured soul he bore
And with yon bright angelic forms
She lives to die no more.
Why should I vex my heart or fret;
No more she'll visit me
My soul will mount to her at last,
And there my child I'll see.
I visited Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery twice this year, in June and in October. Neither time were my photos of this stone nearly as legible as the photo that Nancy Ann Mull Buchanan posted on FindAGrave.com in January. Thank you, Nancy, for permission to include your photograph here.
|Photo by Nancy Ann Mull Buchanan, January 2011


text:
It's a wrap on the set of "About Schmidt" - the new Jack Nicholson movie will open next year. For two months locations in Nebraska City, Minden, Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha brought a touch of authenticity to the film. The film crew came here because the director, Alexander Payne, grew up in Omaha. Payne's first two movies – "Citizen Ruth" and "Election" – were popular with critics and movie-goers, and were also shot in Nebraska.
All three films share something else – the people responsible for choosing the locations and the cast are also products of Omaha. "Statewide's" Bill Kelly takes us inside the making of "About Schmidt," and reports that these two men, and the hometown director, worked hard to make this new movie something that looks and feels like Nebraska.
The film tells the story of Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson), a retiring insurance executive in Omaha, Nebraska. Just days before he and his wife are to take the trip of their dreams, she passes away. The loss devastates Schmidt, and leads him to take a look at what was important in his own life, while reconciling with a daughter with whom he could never connect.


text:
From our friends at Popsugar Moms!
Hollywood is full of great expectations this season! Whether they're first-time moms-to-be or seasoned veterans of parenthood, we've rounded up some of our favorite pregnant celebs with babies on the way. Click through to see who's strutting a baby bump on the red carpet and which new arrivals we can't wait to hear about!
Continue reading at Popsugar Moms.


text:
The Shack (HD)
Regular price $4.00
Digital Code and redemption instructions will be emailed to you SAME BUSINESS DAY. We pride ourselves in lightning fast delivery.
These codes have been removed from their respective movie case/box that we have purchased and thus own the rights to sell the included digital copies. ViFGAM is the legal owner of the digital content & can sell these due to the fact that we are the original purchaser & owner. Purchased codes & redemption instructions will be delivered electronically once payment is made. Physical slip will be destroyed after redemption, not mailed.
These are new unredeemed Digital HD/1080p movie codes from US Blu-Rays (Email Delivery after payment is received, no mailing involved).
**Codes for this title have been verified valid for redemption and are intended to be redeemed using the link provided via email. ViFGAM will not be held responsible for reimbursement if redemption errors occur outside of the retailer link provided. Codes redeemed through the link provided are guaranteed to redeem at minimum High Definiton, 1080p quality.**


text:
The window that was at least partially kept open since late last year has officially been closed.
Elizabeth Hurley has filed for divorce from husband Arun Nayar. The couple, who wed in 2007, have been separated since December, when rumors linked Hurley to Australian cricket star Shane Warne.
The gossip spurred Hurley to confirm the separation via Twitter:
U.S. & World
"For the record, my husband Arun & I separated a few months ago. Our close family & friends were aware of this."
The actress has cited "unreasonable behavior" as the impetus behind the divorce.
Nayar is the heir to an Indian textile fortune. Hurley most recently began work on David E. Kelley's "Wonder Woman" series, playing the role of primary villain Veronica Cale.
Selected Reading: Us Magazine, PopEater, Marie Claire


text:
February 3, 2011
Hampton, New Hampshire – SASS Global Travel, the leading action sports adventure travel company, is proud to announce the launch of the 2011 South America Snow Sessions program, to be held in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina from July 23-September 3rd, 2011. SASS retains its legendary guided skiing and snowboarding experience and college program while taking over an entire hotel at the base of Cerro Catedral ski resort a hundred yards from the lifts with full-service breakfast and dinner, indoor/outdoor pool, game room and other resort-style amenities.
SASS pioneered summer freestyle and backcountry ski and snowboard trips to Argentina in 2004 and quickly grew in size and popularity. Now in its seventh season, SASS has introduced hundreds of clients ages 14-50 to backcountry skiing and snowboarding. From avalanche equipment use and safety protocols to backcountry travel techniques and jump building, clients often experience their first cliff, chute, or run shredding deep powder. SASS enlists a professional staff of backcountry guides and professional skiers and snowboarders to keep clients safe and bring their skiing or riding to the next level. Skylar Holgate from Silverton Mountain returns as Head Guide, and Andrew Burns returns as Head Coach. Other notable athletes like Chris Coulter, James Heim, Michelle Parker, Garrett Russell, and Natalie Gough have coached at the program as well.
2011 also marks the third year of the SASS College Program with education partner Sierra Nevada College. Students can enroll in a variety of college-accredited classes like Spanish in the Field, AIARE Level 1 Avalanche and Backcountry Skills, Winter Adventure Photography, Winter Adventure Video and Freeskiing/Freeriding. Students can also undertake an internship in Ski Business Management and work directly with the SASS staff. College Session A lasts two weeks from July 23-August 5th, and College Session B from August 6-19th.
SASS will operate week-long, Saturday to Saturday sessions, allowing more clients to fit the program into their schedules. For more information about the program including photos, videos, testimonials, and booking information, visit www.sasnow.com.
A preview of the summer with SASS:


text:
There are a few things First Lady Michelle Obama says she can't wait to do once she leaves the White House in 2016.
She sat down with "Late Show" host, Stephen Colbert, on Tuesday and laid out her bucket list.
"I'd like to open a window," she said.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
She said she can't open her windows at home or in the car because of heavy security. She told Colbert if she ever opens the car window, the agents who accompany her usually jump up.
"We'll get you a canister of fresh air," Colbert said.
She said an agent once treated her to an open car window when she was on her way from Camp David — for a whole five minutes.
Among the other things she hopes to do: shop at Target and drive a car.
Mrs. Obama also spoke about her campaign, 62 Million Girls, an initiative to help educate girls here at home and around the world.
"We are working and leveraging resources in developing countries to make sure girls have opportunities," she told Colbert.
She encouraged people to tweet what they've learned in school with the hashtag #62MillionGirls.
Before closing out the interview, Colbert turned the conversation to the current election, and what could come once she hands over the reins to her successor.
"Without naming names, if we have a female president next, would you leave a letter for her husband?" Colbert asked. Mrs. Obama said she had received a letter for former first lady Laura Bush when she took over the position.
"What's the most important thing he needs to know about the job?" he asked.
"I would say, follow your passion," she said, pointing into the camera. "Just be you."


text:
Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate my colleague on his speech. I would like him to say a little more about how we can protect pensions. He gave the example of an individual who invests in RRSPs for 10 years and loses money when the value of the RRSPs then falls. So we lose money we invest for our retirement. He also said the measures proposed in the bill do nothing to provide better protection.
In addition, we might think of examples like Nortel, where the corporation came ahead of the employees. My colleague is certainly aware of that case. When we talk about retirement security for people who have worked hard all their lives and who invested their money, it is extremely important to protect their retirement pension. I would like to let my colleague talk some more about how we can better protect that, so it is better than what is proposed in this bill.