text: Back Osmolality (Stool) Does this test have other names? Stool osmolality What is this test? This test measures the concentration, or osmolality, of certain particles in a sample of your watery stool. The amount of sodium, potassium, and other substances in your stool can affect its consistency. The test is used to find out why your stool isn't solid. Acute diarrhea often clears up on its own within a few days. But it's considered chronic diarrhea when the loose, watery bowel movements last more than four weeks. A large number of disorders and medications can cause chronic diarrhea: Infections from parasites, bacteria or virusesIntestinal diseases like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease Irritable bowel syndrome Endocrine diseases like diabetes and thyroid disease Weakened immune system from cancer or HIV/AIDS Previous abdominal surgery or radiation to the abdomen Allergies Medications such as antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and laxatives Some people – mostly women – secretly abuse laxatives. This can cause chronic, watery diarrhea. Watery diarrhea caused by laxative abuse is called factitious diarrhea. This condition may have a mental health component. This test also is used to find out whether your diarrhea is osmotic or secretory. Osmotic diarrhea results from something drawing water into your bowel. Secretory diarrhea happens when your body releases water into the bowel when it shouldn't. Why do I need this test? You may need this test if you have chronic watery diarrhea for no apparent reason. This test may be helpful when the cause of diarrhea is unclear or if your doctor suspects that you are abusing laxatives. What other tests might I have along with this test? Your doctor may also order other tests to help determine the cause of your diarrhea. Which tests you have depend on your symptoms and what your health care provider suspects may be causing your diarrhea. These tests may include: Complete blood count, or CBC, and differential Thyroid function Serum electrolytes Total protein Albumin Stool occult blood Stool test to look for the active ingredients in laxatives Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy What do my test results mean? Many things may affect your lab test results. These include the method each lab uses to do the test. Even if your test results are different from the normal value, you may not have a problem. To learn what the results mean for you, talk with your health care provider. If your stool osmolality is very low, you may have factitious diarrhea. How is this test done? This test requires a stool sample. You will be asked to give a random or a timed stool sample. A timed stool sample is collected over a period of time, such as 24, 48, or 72 hours. Your doctor will instruct you how to collect a sample into a disposable specimen container with a lid. Do not collect fecal material from the toilet bowl or put toilet paper into the specimen container. In some cases, your doctor may need to collect the sample using a rectal swab. Does this test pose any risks? This test poses no known risks. If a rectal swab is used to collect your sample, you may feel some pressure or discomfort when it is inserted into your rectum. What might affect my test results? A sample contaminated with urine or toilet paper will not be accurate. Certain medications can also affect your results. How do I prepare for this test? If your doctor suspects that a certain food is causing your diarrhea, you may need to fast before the test. In addition, be sure your doctor knows about all medicines, herbs, vitamins, and supplements you are taking. This includes medicines that don't need a prescription and any illicit drugs you may use.


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ROBINSON, JOSEPH HIRAM, Methodist minister and editor; b. 20 Dec. 1807 in Mossley (Greater Manchester), England, son of John Robinson and Sarah —; m. 1833 Jane Scholey; d. 13 April 1896 in Ottawa.
Joseph Hiram Robinson, subject to strong religious influence from his mother, joined the Methodist New Connexion Church in 1822. He was licensed as a local preacher in 1826 and four years later he was received as a probationer minister. Following brief appointments in various locations he was ordained in 1835. After serving for 16 years such important circuits as Liverpool, Chester, and Sheffield, Robinson was appointed in 1851 to succeed Dr Henry O. Crofts as superintendent of the Canadian Wesleyan Methodist New Connexion Church, established ten years previously.
Robinson served as superintendent of the New Connexion missions for 15 years, and he was elected president of conference in 1852, 1856, 1861, 1865, and 1869. As superintendent, he did not serve as a minister, but he visited circuits, consulted with and counselled ministers, provided liaison between the mother church and the Canadian body, and encouraged the raising of funds. During this period he was also involved in the temperance movement, and he was one of the chief organizers of the British American Order of Good Templars, serving for several years as president.
Recognizing the need for a journal to promote the work of his denomination, Robinson founded the Evangelical Witness in 1854 in London, Upper Canada, his principal residence from 1856. Robinson served as editor of the monthly, and later bi-monthly, publication from 1854, although he was officially appointed only in 1858. He invested several thousand dollars of his own money in the Witness, but the publication continued to lose money, even with the aid of the English conference. In 1866 he resigned as superintendent of missions and editor of the Witness to become book steward and treasurer. Robinson was recalled by the English conference in 1870 and was appointed editor of the Methodist New Connexion Magazine and Evangelical Repository (Manchester) and manager of the Connexional Publishing House in London. While so engaged he was elected in 1872 president of the English conference.
During its years in Canada the New Connexion Church had been unable to make much headway against the dominant bodies in Canadian Methodism, the Wesleyan Methodists and the Methodist Episcopals, and it remained small and scattered, its mission understaffed and financially troubled. In 1873, therefore, the Canadian New Connexion conference approved a plan of union with the Canadian Wesleyan Methodist Church. The English New Connexion conference, which opposed any union, returned Robinson to Toronto to assist the Reverend Henry Medicraft, his successor, in the discussions. He was also instructed to arrange pastoral care for the considerable minority of members who the English conference believed were opposed to union. However, at the New Connexion conference of 1874 the final vote on union saw only 18 of the approximately 125 laymen and ministers who attended opposed. Robinson consequently advised the representatives that it would be unseemly and hopeless to try to continue as a separate denomination at the expense of the English mission fund. When the English conference learned of the overwhelming support for union it consented to the measure, which was consummated in 1874.
His mission completed, Robinson decided to spend his retirement in Canada, where several of his family had settled. In 1875 he was received into the ministry of the Methodist Church of Canada by its London conference. For 15 years, though officially retired, he served as an assistant to the ministers at Dundas Street Centre Methodist Church in London. In 1890 Robinson and his wife made their home with a daughter and son-in-law in Ottawa. Mrs Robinson died that year, followed by her husband in 1896. As well as their daughter in Ottawa, the Robinsons were survived by two other daughters and a son.
Joseph Hiram Robinson was perhaps the ablest of all the superintendents of the Wesleyan Methodist New Connexion missions. In the judgement of Methodist historian William Williams, "No man ever did more to make the Canadian Connexion a success than he did." He employed great skill in handling the financial problems of the connexion. To quote Williams again, "His ready wit, massive facts, and skill in using every passing incident for the promotion of his purpose gave him great ascendancy in the Conference and throughout the Connexion."
School of Oriental and African Studies Library, Univ. of London, Methodist Missionary Soc. Arch., Methodist New Connexion Church, Foreign and Colonial Missions Committee, letters from missionaries in Canada (mfm. at UCC-C). UCC-C, Albert Burnside, "The Canadian Wesleyan Methodist New Connexion Church, 1841–1874" (typescript report, Emmanuel College, Victoria Univ., Toronto, 1967); Dundas Street Methodist Church (London, Ont.), minutes of the quarterly meetings, 15 Nov. 1875. Evangelical Witness (London), 1 (1854)–21 (1874). Methodist Church (Canada, Newfoundland, Bermuda), General Conference, Centennial of Canadian Methodism (Toronto, 1891), 112; London Conference, Minutes, 2 (1892–98), minutes for 1896: 8. Christian Guardian, 10 Sept. 1870, 3 June 1896. Cornish, Cyclopædia of Methodism. United Methodist ministers and their circuits . . . 1797–1932, comp. O. A. Beckerlegge (London, Eng., 1968).
© 1990–2023 University of Toronto/Université Laval
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Cite This Article
Albert Burnside, "ROBINSON, JOSEPH HIRAM," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 12, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed October 4, 2023, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/robinson_joseph_hiram_12E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
|Author of Article:
|Albert Burnside
|Title of Article:
|Publication Name:
|Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 12
|University of Toronto/Université Laval
|Year of publication:
|Year of revision:
|Access Date:
|October 4, 2023

subset: commoncrawl


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This week I'd like to present the Wordans Cheap Tee Foundation! We provide cheap white t-shirts to small budget individuals and web surfers.
Starting at 8$, these t-shirts aim to democratize the customized t-shirt industry and give everyone the opportunity to make their very own cool personnalised t-shirt.
Have an event, a birthday or just want to look good cause it's been tough back at school?
Just do it!
Funny anecdote is that we actually did make the tricolor triplet faced t-shirt for a Wordans.com friend's birthday. Tattoo your friend's face to a shirt, it's a funny tee and it might actually look good!


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Deal alert / Paul McCartney: Tug of War / limited super deluxe edition
This isn't so much a 'deal alert' as an availability alert, since Paul McCartney's top-of-range SUPER deluxe edition of Tug of War (released in Oct) is limited to just 1000 units and is already unavailable from many stockists including McCartney's own website. However, this is available on Amazon Italy at the time of writing.
To recap, the super deluxe is the same as the deluxe (3CD+DVD+two books) except for the fact that it's very limited (as discussed), AND you get a "numbered acrylic slipcase", some hand numbered Linda McCartney prints. To be honest, I'd already decided to stick with the 'just' the standard deluxe myself, but the Amazon Italy price of €124 (about £88) is the cheapest I've seen this and at only £18 more than the Amazon UK deluxe price, I gave in to temptation! Hell, I am editor of SuperDeluxeEdition, so it's probably in my job description to buy this thing! If you want to join me, get on with it before they sell out…
Tug of War Super Deluxe Edition contains:
• CD 1 – Tug of War: Remixed
• CD 2 – Tug of War: Bonus Audio
1 Stop, You Don't Know Where She Came From (Demo / Remastered 2015)
2 Wanderlust (Demo / Remastered 2015)
3 Ballroom Dancing (Demo / Remastered 2015)
4 Take It Away (Demo / Remastered 2015)
5 The Pound Is Sinking (Demo / Remastered 2015)
6 Something That Didn't Happen (Demo / Remastered 2015)
7 Ebony And Ivory (Demo / Remastered 2015)
8 Dress Me Up As a Robber / Robber Riff (Demo / Remastered 2015)
9 Ebony And Ivory (Solo Version / Remastered 2015)
10 Rainclouds (Remastered 2015)
11 I'll Give You A Ring (Remastered 2015)
• CD 3: Tug of War: Original Mix
1 Tug of War (Music video version 1)
2 Tug of War (Music video version 2)
3 Take It Away (Music video)
4 Ebony & Ivory (Music video)
5 Fly TIA – Behind the scenes of Take it away (18 minutes documentary)
• 12 page essay book
• 64 page scrapbook
• hi-res audio download
• Numbered Acrylic Slipcase
• Hand Numbered Linda McCartney prints


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Do you know what our Paradores Civia are? They are our Paradores of the luxury hotel chain that are located in urban locations. If you want to explore and discover Spanish cities with the comfort and luxury of our Paradores hotels, choose Paradores Civia!
We are going to suggest you three different Paradores in three different cities for you to choose your urban destination to enjoy your holidays in Spain: The Parador de Calahorra, the Parador de Melilla and the Parador de Ferrol.
Parador de Calahorra
In the autonomous community of La Rioja, there is a town called Calahorra. Traditionally, agriculture and wine production have been the main economic activities in Calahorra. The importance of this town remains in its Roman past and the past Medieval influence. It is a culturally interesting urban place and the most important town of the region of La Rioja Baja.
Its historic centre has a Muslim past in combination with Roman remains, and its Cathedral with a late Gothic style from the XV century deserves to be visited. The whole town is about beautiful historic buildings as convents, churches and ancient remains.
But Calahorra is not just beautiful architecture, but also tasty gastronomy. You should visit the Wine Museum of La Rioja Baja and try the delicious local garden products at our Parador de Calahorra. This beautiful hotel is the best in comfort and tranquil atmosphere. You will have the feeling of having been taken back to medieval times while staying in such an interesting urban place. Enjoy an urban stay in combination with great architecture and delicious gastronomy at the Parador de Calahorra!
Book now at the Parador de Calahorra
Parador de Calahorra
Parador de Melilla
In the north of Africa, right in the Mediterranean coast, the Spanish city of Melilla emerges. It is an urban place full of beautiful contrasts that will delight you. It has an Andalusian spirit but it also keeps the essence of the continent where it is located.
One of the most representative aspects of the city of Melilla is its modernist architecture. This has made an interesting and cultural city out of Melilla, together with its historic past and variety of religions, ethnics and cultures. Walk around its Ciutadella Walls and its maritime port where the most vivid social activity takes place. You'll just love it!
The Parador de Melilla is like a viewpoint of the city. It presides the city, its beaches and corners. The hotel offers you cosy rooms in an elegant and peaceful atmosphere. Do not hesitate on trying the local cuisine, Mediterranean gastronomy in combination with local and vary exotic local products. Enjoy a stay at this colourful and exotic city of Melilla!
Book now at the Parador de Melilla
Parador de Melilla
Parador de Ferrol
Let's radically change the location! Let's go to the north of Spain! Let's go to Galicia, to the province of La Coruña! Where exactly? To the wonderful city of Ferrol, where our Parador de Ferrol is located. This city is one of the most important urban nucleus in the north.
Ferrol is all about contrasts: it mixes a medieval influence, with ancient castles, military heritage, an industrial past and an actual modernity. Beauty is everywhere in this city. In fact, the Barrio de la Magdalena has been declared a place Historic-Artistic importance.
One of the charms of this city is the maritime architecture that can be found at the historic centre and at the port. Ferrol keeps a close relationship with the sea and the coast lifestyle. It is also a place of reference for the pilgrims on the northern Way of Saint James.
If you book at the Parador de Ferrol now, you will enjoy staying in a huge beautiful mansion with a maritime touch and the best views of the coast that can be found all over the city of Ferrol. Moreover, you will be able to try the tastiest Galician cuisine at the Parador de Ferrol's restaurant. It is all about advantages!
Book now at the Parador de Ferrol
Parador de Ferrol
Enjoy some of the best urban holidays in Spain with our Paradores luxury hotels!


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Laserworld DS-3000RGB ShowNET
Diode-only Laser with full analog modulation, integrated ShowNET
Visit the Laserworld store.
Special Offers When bought with this product
Product Description
The Laserworld Diode Series units come with diode-only laser sources ("Pure Diode") and thus have great beam specifications with beautiful analog color modulation.
The DS-3000RGB units can be controlled over ILDA and have a bult-in memory with preset patterns, that can be easily triggered through DMX. They can also be operated in automatic and sound-to-light mode.
The Laserworld DS-3000RGB (ShowNET) comes with integrated ShowNET network interface and free laser show software. Details in the box below.
Beginners as well as professionals use the Laserworld Diode Series units, as they are easy to use, versatile in their features and very compact and lightweight.
The Laserworld DS-3000RGB comes with 550 mW red at 638 nm and uses green diodes at 520 nm (900 mW). The blue diode has 1'600 mW power at 450 nm.
Beam specifications are at great 4 mm / 1.1 mrad full angle and scanning can go as fast as 30 kpps@8°, whereas the scanners can scan a maximum angle of 45°.
With integrated and switchable scan fail safety.
The whole projector is built with Sealed Housing technology and thus maintenance intervals can be kept very low.
+ Integrated ShowNET incl. free laser show software
The Laserworld DS-1000RGB features an integrated ShowNET network interface with free laser control software included!
Start with your own professional laser show thanks to the intuitive Showeditor laser show software which comes with every new Laserworld DS-1000RGB (ShowNET) for free. The Showcontroller software is supported as well and can be purchased additionally.
The integrated ShowNET allows for direct input through ILDA and LAN. Besides DMX, it is possible to trigger single frames via ArtNET. You can play custom frames and shows from an integrated SD card (included in delivery) – even in sound-to-light and stand-alone mode!
There are two different DMX modes:
(1) DJ Mode with the most used features for beginners. Only a few DMX channels are used for a quick and easy access to the most important adjustments directly at the laser system.
(2) Professional Mode with all DMX features especially for users with a DMX console. All adjustments can be triggered and allow for full control of the professional laser show.
The integrated ShowNET works as DAC (digital to analog converter) and enables ILDA streaming.
Hardware features of integrated ShowNET:
X/Y scanner outputs with 12 bit resolution (4096 different positions on each axis)
Color outputs with 8 bit resolution (256 different intensity values per color channel): red, green, blue, intensity linked to green
DMX512 input and output (non-isolated)
100 Mbit Ethernet port
Flexible IP address setting: static address, DHCP or AutoIP
MicroSD card slot for ILDA file playback (ILDA format code 4/5 RGB)
standalone operation and DMX IN/OUT via DMX-Adapter
Maximum scan speed ~100.000 points per second
Up to 16 devices can be used in parallel for multiprojector laser shows
Built-in ArtNet-to-DMX converter
Customers Also Bought
Technical Specs
|Guaranteed power at aperture:
|2'800 mW
|Power Red:
|550 mW / 638 nm
|Power Green:
|900 mW / 520 nm
|Power Blue:
|1'600 mW / 450 nm
|Beam Specifications (full angle):
|ca. 4 mm / 1.1 mrad
|Laser Sources:
|Laser Class:
|Operation Modes:
|ILDA, DMX, LAN, ArtNet, integrated SD card, stand-alone, sound-to-light
|30 kpps@8°
|Scan Angle max.:
|Basic Patterns:
|over 120 (layers, tunnels, fences, waves, etc.)
|power cable, manual, keys, interlock, hex key
|Power Supply:
|85 V - 250 V / AC, 50/60 Hz internal PSU
|Power Consumption:
|210 x 170 x 145 mm (L x W x H)
|4.3 kg


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Marquise Cut Forever One Moissanite Engagement Ring #GTJ1215-marquise-fb-r
From: USD $707
|Main Gem Shape: Marquise
|Metal Type: 14k Rose Gold
Have a Question About This Ring Design?
We're happy to answer any of your questions. Please let us know what you have in mind.
- Base price shown is for ring setting only.
- Select a center gem and ring size to see your total price.
- This design can be set with your choice of moissanite center gem.
- Accent gems (if any) are set with matching color and clarity of diamonds based on your center gem selection.
- Original price shown is for 14k purity of gold.
- Contact us for pricing on 18k or platinum if the option is not showing on this page.
- 100% of our gems are lab created and environmentally friendly.
- Unless otherwise noted, wedding band is not included in product and pricing details.
- Contact us for pricing on matching wedding band if it is not available on this page.
Forever One Moissanite by Charles & Colvard is covered by their independent lifetime warranty.
Gerry The Jeweler Moissanite is covered by our in house lifetime warranty together with your ring.
Gerry The Jeweler Moissanite Warranty comes with the following benefit which competing brands do not offer.
Should your Gerry The Jeweler Moissanite ever suffer damage from an outside force which causes your gem to break, chip or become scratched – We will repair and/or completely replace the gem at no cost to you.
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amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
July 18, 2007—Progress in AIDS vaccine development remains frustratingly slow, but amfAR-funded scientists such as research fellow Dr. Sang-Moo Kang, who described his research in the June issue of the journal Virology, are bringing us closer to realizing that elusive goal.
Many scientists believe that to be effective, vaccines will need to elicit strong and durable immune responses from both killer T cells and antibodies. The former are particularly effective at ridding the body of cells that have been infected by a virus, while the latter can also destroy virus particles that have not yet associated with cells.
Researchers interested in designing an AIDS vaccine, such as Dr. Kang, are striving to find ways to activate both of these components of the immune defense against viruses. Last year we highlighted the vaccine research of amfAR scientist Dr. Richard Kornbluth, who is developing novel immune boosters or "molecular adjuvants." These products have the capacity to recruit and activate specialized types of immune cells known as dendritic cells (DCs). Located at strategic sites in the body where HIV and other infections enter, DCs capture and process proteins from these invaders, then carry them to appropriate sites where they activate immune defenses. Importantly, DCs have the potential to activate aspects of killer T cell and antibody function.
Working at the Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta, Dr. Kang built on this type of approach. Viruses, including HIV, are potent stimulators of DCs. Given that safety considerations would not permit the use of a whole HIV virus as a vaccine, or even a weakened version of it, Dr. Kang reasoned that the best way to stimulate DCs might be to use as much of the natural virus as possible. He designed an AIDS virus from which he removed those genes that permit it to grow and do harm, but added in a gene that could promote the growth of DCs that this virus-like structure might encounter. His creation, known as VLP-FL, is a virus-like particle (VLP) containing core and envelope genes from HIV, along with a gene for the DC growth factor Flt3 ligand (FL).
Injected into mice, VLP-FL not only increased dendritic cells but stimulated a myriad of immune cells, all exhibiting characteristics that suggested they were primed to attack HIV. Indeed, when Dr. Kang compared normal virus-like particles to those that had Flt3 ligand added to them, he found that in the blood of mice immunized with VLP-FL, the level of antibody against the AIDS virus coat, Env, was twice that of mice receiving only the VLP. Because Env sits on the outside of the virus and is therefore the most accessible virus protein, a vaccine that could generate antibodies against Env would probably be the most effective way to use antibodies to disable the virus. Dr. Kang's work, along with that of many amfAR-funded scientists, is paving the way toward a crucial HIV prevention tool, an AIDS vaccine.
Dr. Laurence is amfAR's senior scientific consultant and Dr. Johnston is amfAR's vice president for research.
© 2021 amfAR All Rights Reserved || amfAR's mission is to end the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research


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Ruben Steeman is a Dutch graphic designer and illustrator. He is the owner of Buro RuSt, and has worked for a variety of clients. His company has made designs for books, logos, flyers, etc. Among his credits are designs for the foundations, festivals, the city of Amsterdam, Classix Magazine, and the 'Jakhalzen' section of TV show De Wereld Draait Door.
Steeman publishes comics and cartoons on his site Elke Dag Rust. 'Elke Dag Rust' has also participated in the comics contest held by newspaper Het Parool in 2006. Steeman additionally contributed a page and the cover design to the collective comics project 'Mooi Is Dat', that features adaptations of Dutch literary classics, in 2010. He is also co-founder of Recensiekoning, a site that reviews virtually everything, from TV shows and books to everyday events and objects.


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Did JVM's "Warm-Up" Cause Knight's Collapse?
With the buzz around the recent introduction of the NASDAQ's "kill switch" tool (PDF) the ghosts of the August 2012 Knight Capital Group trading debacle are again haunting the minds of many on The Street. Although participating firms can count on kill switches like NASDAQ's to shut down trading based on each participant's pre-defined limits, this remedy is almost akin to closing the door after the horse has already left the barn. In other words, such switches don't address the underlying issue, which means firms risk exposure before the switch activates. How much exposure depends upon what limits a firm sets. While there are no public statements by Knight, or other insiders, on the exact nature of the 2012 "technology issue," speculation abounds.
On theory holds that "flash trades" like Knights resulted from the well-known "warm-up phase" required by Java Virtual Machine (JVM) technology. In a nutshell, JVM solutions enable Java to run on any platform, powering a host of enterprise applications including trading platforms. The "warm-up phase" is the time it takes a JVM solution, and therefore the applications that depend on it, to reach optimal performance levels. Traditionally, JVM solutions are "warmed-up" using test cases, as is explained in such freely-available resources as Oracle's JRockit JVM technical literature.
In practice, financial services firms frequently warm-up applications using mock, or simulated, trading data. The risk, of course, is that a chain of events could cause that mock data to be considered live and touch off a cascade of unintended trades. According to Paul Rowady, Senior Analyst for the TABB Group, any known technology issue that creates trading risk, such as the JVM warm-up, is worth investigating. "In my Wall Street & Technology Case Study Feature JVM Warm Up Phase– Pg 2 of 2 experience with high-frequency trading, it makes sense to consider the impact of 'warming-up' JVM," he says. While Rowady stresses he's unaware of the exact nature of Knight's issue or the relative magnitude of risk that warming-up JVM poses, he does believe it's an issue that many highly-automated trading businesses face. "If there's a viable, cost-effective solution, firms may want to check the issue off the list and move on to something else, given the enormity and complexity of the unknowns," he says.
Unsurprisingly, at least one technology firm has announced a solution. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Azul Systems recently launched ReadyNow!, a proprietary warm-up mitigation technology now exclusively available within its own JVM solution, called Zing. Beyond reducing the risk, Azul points out that insufficiently warmed systems may not operate at optimal performance at market open due to the dynamics involved in real-world trading environments. With the introduction of ReadyNow!, Azul says Zing provides "peak application performance" without extended warm-up periods. Whether large Wall Street firms with significant investments in established JVMs, such as Oracle's JRockit or HotSpot (obtained in the Sun Microsystems acquisition), jump ship to adopt a solution like Zing remains to be seen. However, for those firms considering the adoption of a new trading platform, or even upgrading existing systems, investigating new JVM technologies presents an opportunity. All other things being equal, deploying a platform without the warm-up risk certainly can provide competitive advantages. Anne Rawland Gabriel is a technology writer and marketing communications consultant based in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Among other projects, she's a regular contributor to UBM Tech's Bank Systems & Technology, Insurance & Technology and Wall Street & Technology ... View Full Bio


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I've done this a few times in the past, and this year I'm feeling the need to review all I wrote in 2011, and highlight the best posts (at least, by my own measure). Even though my writing in the past year withered to an average of two or three posts a week, I still managed to get some meaningful ideas out there, and I intend to redouble my efforts in 2012. Herewith, my list of favorites from the past year, in order of appearance:
Predictions 2011 The first substantive post of 2011, by my own reckoning last month, I did pretty well.
What Everyone Seems to Miss In Facebook's Private or Public Debate… I make the point that a company with this much data should be accountable to the public.
The InterDependent Web In which I expand on my concepts of the Dependent and Independent Web.
File Under: Metaservices, The Rise Of In this piece I outline a vision for an app world that works,well, like the web should work. One of the top tweeted stories of the year.
Google, Social, and Facebook: One Ring Does Not Rule Them All I forgot I wrote this, but given how Google subsequently dropped Twitter and forced Google+ to the top of its results, re-reading it makes me sad. I wish Google would take my advice.
Do We Trust The Government With The Internet? Surprisingly, I argue that we should.
The Rise of Digital Plumage In which I talk about my concept of instrumenting our digital identities with as much care as we instrument our physical bodies.
The Internet Interest Bubble I've been always in the camp of "we're not in another bubble," but in this piece, I argue we do have perhaps too much interest in the whole story, at least, too much interest in rather shallow parts of the story.
KSJO 92.3 – Good Product, Bad Marketing. A Case Study One of my favorite anecdotes of the year.
Pandora's Facebook Box Musings on my desire to use some other service to rethink my Facebook profile.
A Report Card on Web 2 and the App Economy It wasn't a good score.
Why Color Matters: Augmented Reality And Nuanced Social Graphs May Finally Come of Age Got a ton of comments, but I was wrong about Color. I stand by the principles of the post, however.
A Funny Coincidence, or a Glimpse of the Future? A coincidental glimpse of the future, alas.
Plato On Facebook Change always augurs complaint.
Set The Data Free, And Value Will Follow "Every major (and even every minor) player realizes that "data is the next Intel inside," and has, for the most part, taken a hoarder's approach to the stuff."
Web 2 Map: The Data Layer – Visualizing the Big Players in the Internet Economy A reminder of how much work I did each year getting Web 2 together.
We (Will) Live In A Small Big Town In which I dream of a world where corporations are listening, but not lurking.
What We Hath Wrought: The Book It becomes real, at least, to me!
The World Is An Internet Startup Now One of the most shared pieces I wrote last year.
Time For A New Software Economy As opposed to an app economy.
Google+: If, And, Then….Implications for Twitter and Tumblr Initial reactions to the new service.
"The Information" by James Gleick I read and reviewed a fair number of books this past year, but this one stands out.
Looky Here, It's Me, In an Ad, On Facebook! Is This Legal? Allowed? Who Knows?! Turns out, it was not allowed. But now Facebook allows it on their own ad network (more on that soon).
Twitter and the Ultimate Algorithm: Signal Over Noise (With Major Business Model Implications) Not surprisingly, one of the most tweeted stories of the year.
We Need An Identity Re-Aggregator (That We Control) This was one of my major issues of the year. It ain't going away.
The Future of Twitter Ads I found myself writing more and more about Twitter as the year went on.
Facebook As Storyteller On Timeline and industry journalism.
Google = Google+ One of the most shared stories of the year on all counts. In which I argue that Google+ is way more than a new social network. It's a play for the soul of Google, its brand.
I Wish "Tapestry" Existed It's too hard to innovate in the area of metaservices for apps.
Only Connect: Facebook, From The Eyes of an Old Newbie Highly read piece on my re-entry to Facebook. I should write a followup on my experience so far.
Government By Numbers: Some Interesting Insights Tons of data on government as a percentage of GDP, etc.
Brands as Publishers One of my chestnuts.
You Are The Platform Summary of one of the most important themes to emerge from the Web 2 Summit last year.
The Problem and the Opportunity Of Mobile Advertising A story of where we are and where we might go.
The World In One Generation: Population Trends This blew up on StumbleUpon. Go figure.
"We need some angry nerds" SOPA rears its head.
The Internet Big Five Part of my book work (as are others above, come to think of it), and increasingly part of this site going forward.
On This Whole "Web Is Dead" Meme It's not dead.
2011 Predictions: How Did I Do? Not bad.
Well, there ya go. A fair number of "favorite posts" for what was a pretty light year of writing. Looking forward to 2012….


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LGBTQ mag profiles exemplars of "ethical sluttery"
In case LGBTQs in Oregon hadn't got scoop on poly, the free monthly queer magazine of Portland and surrounding territories presents...
Ethical sluttery: Poly relationships expand the reach of love and sex
By Erin Rook
But commitment is not the sole purview of monogamy. For those who practice polyamory (and it does take practice), the challenges inherent in holding space for and communicating with more than one person are outweighed by the opportunities for personal growth — and, to be fair, getting laid.
...Jake (a pseudonym) is 34 and currently considers himself "single." But he is involved in a matrix of relationships, ranging from deep friendships that occasionally get physical to "flovers" (between a friend and a lover) and lovers with whom he shares physical and emotional intimacy....
"In general most people don't expect one person to fulfill all of their needs in a particular area. No one expects a person to have just one friend who takes care of all of their non-romantic needs," Kyra says. "Yet our culture demands that we do that for romantic love and for sex — and that romantic love and sex must be with the same person."
Polyamorous relationships can take many forms and may shift over time. Rachael Palmer, 32, and Devon Chase, 30, have been married/partnered for seven years and each has casual secondary partners in addition to their primary relationship. Devon's current secondary partner also has a primary partner and family of her own.
Rachel Palmer and Devon Chase
"The nature of our polyamory has changed a lot since we first got together," Rachael says. "We used to only date people together and that came with its own set of rules that changed with who we were dating and, again, what made us both feel safe. For example, originally we would only date/sleep with people together and we wouldn't interact romantically with said date without the other person around, but as we got more comfortable that changed, too. Now we date people together and opposite," Rachael says. "We fuck other people because we want to be together for a long time and indulging our fantasies and desires keeps us happy and healthy."
Read the whole article (December 2012 issue).
The author posts on the magazine's website a longer interview with Rachel and Devon, who identify as butch and femme queers, that didn't make it into the printed edition (Dec. 28, 2012).


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Search this site
Article on Jinnah
Part I : Statesman Jan 04, 2009
Part II : Statesman, Jan 11, 2009
About the Book
About Author
Obituary and Shared Memories
Tree Planted in his Memory
Reviews and News
Review in Hindustan Times
Review in Chandigarh Sector News
Review in the Tribune
Article in Indian Express
Khushwant Singh's Article
Journalism Students Meet Author
Additional Chapters not included in the book due to space constraints
Meet the 'Honourable' people of my locality in Lahore.
Mother's Bundle of Straws
Our Dream Girl.
The Retirement Bonanza.
Other Publications
Successful tourism: Planning and management (1978)
Successful Tourism Management
Fiji: A Paradise in Peril
India - A Traveller's Companion (2000)
An Introduction to Travel and Tourism (2005)
Other Links
Nippon Folk Tales(Hindi) by Kusum Seth
Technology Musings
(Website of Anil Seth)
Living & surviving in India
Daughter's Memories
Memories - One Story
Lahore to Delhi...Rising from the ashes
Table of Contents
Part I
Chapter 1
Walls in the Walled City
Chapter 2
The City of My Birth
Chapter 3
The Lahorias
Chapter 4
Arya Samaj and D.A.V. Movement
Chapter 5
Life in the Campus
Chapter 6
Roshan—Our Family Revolutionary
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Part II
Chapter 7
India Wins Freedom—An Eye Witness Account of Transfer of Power
Chapter 8
How I Celebrated India's Independence Day August 15, 1947
Chapter 9
The Mayhem After Partition—New Punjab Rises from the Ashes
Chapter 10
The Challenge of Starting a Daily Newspaper
Chapter 11
Darling, Do Not Come to Delhi—We are Refugees
Chapter 12
How India Saved Jammu and Kashmir State
Chapter 13
I Saw Mahatma Gandhi Die in front of My Eyes
Chapter 14
Mini Pakistan Averted in South India
Chapter 15
Shimla—A Club on the Move
Chapter 16
A Club of Literary Men
Chapter 17
An Affair with International Tourism
Chapter 18
The 1960s—San Francisco Challenge
Chapter 19
My Years in Germany and Japan and back to U.S.
Chapter 20
Why I Loved Japan
Chapter 21
Lahore Rediscovered After Three Decades
Chapter 22
My Life's Journey Continues
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Perpetuem is a result of several years of research and thousands of miles of testing in a variety of endurance disciplines. Since its introduction in 2003, Perpetuem has allowed athletes to conquer the most extreme workouts and races with complete confidence! Perpetuem represents the ultimate, never-before-available link to satisfying the body's fueling requirements no matter how long or difficult your exercise session or race.
Welcome to the world's finest endurance fuel specifically formulated for multi-hour to multi-day events. No matter how long or extreme your exercise regimen or races may be, Perpetuem is always up to the task.
Thoroughly tested and proven in the world's toughest endurance events, Perpetuem's unique formula -complex carbohydrates, GMO-free soy protein, healthy fats, and key auxiliary nutrients such as sodium phosphate - is unsurpassed for maintaining optimal athletic performance for as long as you want.
Perpetuem provides consistent, reliable energy, maximizes stored fat utilization and buffers lactic acid to prevent muscle fatigue. On the road or trail, Perpetuem is the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of champions!
Extra Benefits:
Carnosine, one of the ingredients in Perpetuem (it's also in HEED, Sustained Energy and Recoverite) and is both a performance aid (a superb lactic acid buffer) and a premium general health nutrient (multiple free-radical scavenging and anti-glycation antioxidant).
Use as a primary source of calories during exercise/competition lasting more than two hours.
Serving Size
One scoop of Perpetuem contains 135 calories.
Suggested Doses by Body Weight
*These are estimated doses. Each athlete should determine in training, under a variety of conditions, their personal optimum.
Mixing / Usage Instructions
IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to potential spoilage issues, Perpetuem cannot be premixed and left for several hours in warm weather. Please read the FAQs on pages 42-43 for more detailed information on this important topic.
You can mix and consume Perpetuem three different ways depending on individual preference and logistical concerns. Please experiment with the following options to determine which works best for you.
The One-Hour Bottle - Mix the suggested amount of Perpetuem for your body weight (see chart above) in 16-28 ounces (approx 475-830 ml) of water. Consume one bottle hourly. This method is ideal when training or racing with a support crew and vehicle. If youre without a support crew, but still want to use this option for mixing, keep in mind that its obviously less convenient as youll have to stop more frequently to mix your fuel. Also, because you are trying to fulfill both hydration and caloric requirements from one source, you have limited ability to adjust one without affecting the other; you may need to consume additional water to satisfy hydration requirements.
The Multi-Hour Bottle- This is by far the most convenient method of fueling because it allows you to be self-sufficient for many hours, requiring only additional plain water along the way. The only limitation is how many scoops you can fit into a bottle. Determine your proper hourly intake of scoops by experimenting with the numbers from the dosage chart. Lets say youve determined through testing that two scoops of Perpetuem per hour is your ideal caloric intake. For a 4-hour workout, youll need eight scoops in a bottle, filled with water and shaken. You may need to add a few scoops at a time to get it all to mix well. You then nurse this bottle, taking small sips every 15-20 minutes. At this concentration, the water in the mixed bottle does not contribute much at all to your hourly fluid intake needs. To meet your fluid requirements, carry a second and possibly even a third bottle of plain water, use a hydration system, or know where you can refill along your route. Drink according to the temperature/humidity and your exertion level so that you consume in the range of 16-28 ounces (approx 475-830 ml) of plain water per hour. This way, as long as you can obtain water along the way, youre set for hours of hard training.
Gel or Paste - If you want to carry the highest volume of calories in the least amount of space, making a thick mix is your best option. Perpetuem can be made into a super-concentrated, near paste-like consistency and dispensed from a Hammer Gel Flask. Using a blender or bowl and spoon, mix scoops of powder with a small amount of water, gradually adding water as necessary to create the desired consistency. If you're using one of the flavored Perpetuems, remember that the heavier and more concentrated you mix it, the sweeter and stronger the flavor will become. You can also add Hammer Gel or HEED for flavor, if desired. Depending on how many scoops per hour you require, and how concentrated the mix is, each flask of Perpetuem can supply you with 2-4 hours of fuel. As with the multi-hour bottle, you must carry additional bottles of plain water or use a hydration system to meet your fluid requirements.
Perpetuem is a high concentration calorie source (via its complex carbohydrate, soy protein, and healthy fat components); therefore we have noted that many athletes do well with a substantially lower calorie intake when using Perpetuem as their primary-to-sole fuel. With this particular fuel we highly recommend starting with the lowest amount suggested-perhaps even a bit lower and work your way up to a higher amount, if a higher amount proves to be necessary via testing in training.
Important information:
By design, neither Perpetuem nor Sustained Energy contains artificial preservatives. Preservatives provide absolutely no benefits for athletic performance or general health. We consider them health hazards, in fact, which is why we do not include them in either of these products, or any of the Hammer Nutrition fuels. As a result of this, however, once mixed into solution, the protein component in both Perpetuem and Sustained Energy is affected in the following ways:
• At some point in time it will eventually sour and no longer be acceptable for consumption.
• It tends to separate after several hours and may settle on the bottom of a bottle or hydration pack bladder.
Nutrition Facts: Serving Size - 2 rounded scoops (69 g)
Calories from Fat
Total Fat
2 g
Saturated Fat
0.5 g
Total Carbohydrates
54 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
7 g
6 g
234 mg
Phosphorus (as Sodium Tribasic Phosphate)
344 mg
0.03 mg
11 mg
1 mg
Chromium (as Chromium Polynicotinate)
100 mcg
231 mg
156 mg
100 mg
Carnitine (as L-Carnitine Tartrate)
50 mg
Choline (as Choline Bitartrate)
50 mg
Maltodextrin, Soy Isolates, Energy Smart®, Lecithin, Dreamsicle Flavor, Sodium Tribasic Phosphate, L-Carnosine, L-Carnitrine Tartrate, Choline Bitartrate, and ChromeMate®, brand Chromium Polynicotinate
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Jake Gyllenhaal was photographed in New York on Sunday with a friend. He's been shooting Southpaw this summer, plays a boxer. Presumably that's why he's doing his walk and box. Hey so we were talking earlier about whether or not Leonardo DiCaprio cleans up nice anymore – probably not ever. You know who does still clean up nice? Jakey for sure. He'll go around for months with a mangy beard but as soon as he gets rid of it, there he is, cute as f-ck. Leo's got 6 years on Jake so, you know, maybe that's not fair.
But it's not just age, it's attitude. I keep telling you – Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't think he has to try. That's not a guy who's giving you a night you'll never forget with his skills. His only skill is being Leonardo DiCaprio. You have to do the rest of the work. If I'm looking at Jake, I'm thinking he came to work too, you know?


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Fox's Monica Crowley Ignores Facts To Attack U.S. Border Enforcement Policy
Fox News contributor Monica Crowley attacked an immigration reform proposal by claiming the federal government has failed to protect the U.S.-Mexico border. However, recent reports show that undocumented migration from Mexico has come to a halt, and border security is at an all-time high.
After a bipartisan group of senators announced a proposal to overhaul the U.S. immigration system that will focus on -- among other initiatives -- border security and opening a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently in the country, Crowley blasted the federal government for failing to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, causing states like Arizona to take matters of border security into their own hands. Crowley said drastic measures are needed because "the federal government either has not or will not enforce [the U.S.-Mexico] border."
However, Crowley's suggestion that current border security is not capable of enforcing our laws is wrong. An April 2012 report by the Pew Hispanic Center explained that net migration flow from Mexico to the U.S. has been reduced to zero and may be headed in the other direction:
After four decades that brought 12 million current immigrants--most of whom came illegally--the net migration flow from Mexico to the United States has stopped and may have reversed, according to a new analysis of government data from both countries by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center.
Among the causes for lower undocumented immigration, the report points to heightened border enforcement, increased amount of deportations, and the growing danger of illegal border crossings.
Indeed, the United States spends more money on immigration enforcement than all other law enforcement agencies combined, according to a recent study by the Migration Policy Institute. The Huffington Post explained that the U.S. spent nearly $18 billion in 2012 on immigration enforcement, compared to $14.4 billion on all other major law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported a record number of deportations in 2012. ICE removed 409,849 individuals in FY 2012, with 55% of those removals being convicted criminals. A graph on ICE's website reflects their relatively new approach to deportation that aims to prioritize their resources to focus on "identification and removal of those that have broken criminal laws, recently crossed our border, repeatedly violated immigration law or are fugitives from immigration court."


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Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Rugby Fall/Winter 2010: "The Wall" And The Eton Wall Game
Rugby's most recent F/W 2010 arrivals are part of a group of clothes dubbed "The Wall" based on The Eton wall game. The event is still held to this very day at Eton College, a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. The game itself is similar to the popular games of soccer and rugby, but what sets it apart is the fact that it's played on a narrow strip of ground in front of a brick wall, first erected in 1717. The rules for the game are kinda bizarre, but it's tough to deny the sheer badassness of playing a contact sport virtually on brick. Anyhow, the colors and themes that dominate the first batch of Rugby's F/W 2010 collection are based on Eton's colors and the English prep school stylings surrounding the event.
3 comments:
- AnonymousJuly 13, 2010 at 9:54 AM
Could this be any gayer?ReplyDelete
No, probably not
We used to play a variation on this in my school against the "old orchard wall" until a hurricane blew the thing down in 1987. I was in the junior school at the time and remember the upper school boys destroying themselves playing in the area between the 'deadball line' behind the goal posts of the rugby pitch and the orchard wall. A cousin of mine once ended up in hospital with a twisted knee, dislocated shoulder and 40 stitches to the back of his head...savage stuff, but lots of fun! I regret that by time I was old enough to play that they had forbidden it for obvious reasons...ReplyDelete
Anon @9:54- I was going to throw in a comment about this being pretty "bro", but figured someone would just do it for me in the comments.ReplyDelete
And to answer your question - Yes, they could be naked.


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Our mission is to build a world-class research laboratory in the application of advanced fabrication technologies to problems in information processing systems. We provide the link between these emerging technologies and their various application areas, thus facilitating their rapid exploitation. More than simply building with what is available, we look for exciting new ways to integrate existing technology into cutting edge solutions.
Primary areas of concentration are VLSI technology, RF integrated circuits, MEMS and sensors, communication applications, signal processing applications, information security and computing systems. Within these areas, team members collaborate with industry innovators and leaders such as TRLabs, DALSA and Gennum.
The University of Calgary ATIPS Laboratory is supported by iCORE and is a member of the Canadian Microelectronics Corporation and Micronet.


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7 top tools for taming big data
Top-flight reporting, analysis, visualization, integration, and development tools that help you harness Hadoop
The floods that devastated the hard disk industry in Thailand are now half a year old, and the prices per terabyte are finally dropping once again. That means data will start piling up and people around the office will wonder what can be done with it. Perhaps there are some insights in those log files? Perhaps a bit of statistical analysis will find some nuggets of gold buried in all of that noise? Maybe we can find enough change buried in the couch cushions of these files to give us all a raise?
The industry now has a buzzword, "big data," for how we're going to do something with the huge amount of information piling up. "Big data" is replacing "business intelligence," which subsumed "reporting," which put a nicer gloss on "spreadsheets," which beat out the old-fashioned "printouts." Managers who long ago studied printouts are now hiring mathematicians who claim to be big data specialists to help them solve the same old problem: What's selling and why?
[ Also on InfoWorld: Enterprise Hadoop: Big data processing made easier | Explore the current trends and solutions in BI with InfoWorld's interactive Business Intelligence iGuide. | Discover what's new in business applications with InfoWorld's Technology: Applications newsletter. ]
It's not fair to suggest that these buzzwords are simple replacements for each other. Big data is a more complicated world because the scale is much larger. The information is usually spread out over a number of servers, and the work of compiling the data must be coordinated among them. In the past, the work was largely delegated to the database software, which would use its magical JOIN mechanism to compile tables, then add up the columns before handing off the rectangle of data to the reporting software that would paginate it. This was often harder than it sounds. Database programmers can tell you the stories about complicated JOIN commands that would lock up their database for hours as it tried to produce a report for the boss who wanted his columns just so.
The game is much different now. Hadoop is a popular tool for organizing the racks and racks of servers, and NoSQL databases are popular tools for storing data on these racks. These mechanism can be much more powerful than the old single machine, but they are far from being as polished as the old database servers. Although SQL may be complicated, writing the JOIN query for the SQL databases was often much simpler than gathering information from dozens of machines and compiling it into one coherent answer. Hadoop jobs are written in Java, and that requires another level of sophistication. The tools for tackling big data are just beginning to package this distributed computing power in a way that's a bit easier to use.
Many of the big data tools are also working with NoSQL data stores. These are more flexible than traditional relational databases, but the flexibility isn't as much of a departure from the past as Hadoop. NoSQL queries can be simpler because the database design discourages the complicated tabular structure that drives the complexity of working with SQL. The main worry is that software needs to anticipate the possibility that not every row will have some data for every column.
The biggest challenge may be dealing with the expectations built up by the major motion picture "Moneyball." All the bosses have seen it and absorbed the message that some clever statistics can turn a small-budget team into a World Series winner. Never mind that the Oakland Athletics never won the World Series during the "Moneyball" era. That's the magic of Michael Lewis' prose. The bosses are all thinking, "Perhaps if I can get some good stats, Hollywood will hire Brad Pitt to play me in the movie version."
None of the software in this collection will come close to luring Brad Pitt to ask his agent for a copy of the script for the movie version of your Hadoop job. That has to come from within you or the other humans working on the project. Understanding the data and finding the right question to ask is often much more complicated than getting your Hadoop job to run quickly. That's really saying something because these tools are only half of the job.
To get a handle for the promise of the field, I downloaded some big data tools, mixed in data, then stared at the answers for Einstein-grade insight. The information came from log files to the website that sells some of my books (wayner.org), and I was looking for some idea of what was selling and why. So I unpacked the software and asked the questions.
Big data tools: Jaspersoft BI Suite
The Jaspersoft package is one of the open source leaders for producing reports from database columns. The software is well-polished and already installed in many businesses turning SQL tables into PDFs that everyone can scrutinize at meetings.
The company is jumping on the big data train, and this means adding a software layer to connect its report generating software to the places where big data gets stored. The JasperReports Server now offers software to suck up data from many of the major storage platforms, including MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis, Riak, CouchDB, and Neo4j. Hadoop is also well-represented, with JasperReports providing a Hive connector to reach inside of HBase.
This effort feels like it is still starting up -- many pages of the documentation wiki are blank, and the tools are not fully integrated. The visual query designer, for instance, doesn't work yet with Cassandra's CQL. You get to type these queries out by hand.
Once you get the data from these sources, Jaspersoft's server will boil it down to interactive tables and graphs. The reports can be quite sophisticated interactive tools that let you drill down into various corners. You can ask for more and more details if you need them.
This is a well-developed corner of the software world, and Jaspersoft is expanding by making it easier to use these sophisticated reports with newer sources of data. Jaspersoft isn't offering particularly new ways to look at the data, just more sophisticated ways to access data stored in new locations. I found this surprisingly useful. The aggregation of my data was enough to make basic sense of who was going to the website and when they were going there.
Big data tools: Pentaho Business Analytics
Pentaho is another software platform that began as a report generating engine; it is, like JasperSoft, branching into big data by making it easier to absorb information from the new sources. You can hook up Pentaho's tool to many of the most popular NoSQL databases such as MongoDB and Cassandra. Once the databases are connected, you can drag and drop the columns into views and reports as if the information came from SQL databases.
I found the classic sorting and sifting tables to be extremely useful for understanding just who was spending the most amount of time at my website. Simply sorting by IP address in the log files revealed what the heavy users were doing.
Pentaho also provides software for drawing HDFS file data and HBase data from Hadoop clusters. One of the more intriguing tools is the graphical programming interface known as either Kettle or Pentaho Data Integration. It has a bunch of built-in modules that you can drag and drop onto a picture, then connect them. Pentaho has thoroughly integrated Hadoop and the other sources into this, so you can write your code and send it out to execute on the cluster.
Big data tools: Karmasphere Studio and Analyst
Many of the big data tools did not begin life as reporting tools. Karmasphere Studio, for instance, is a set of plug-ins built on top of Eclipse. It's a specialized IDE that makes it easier to create and run Hadoop jobs.
I had a rare feeling of joy when I started configuring a Hadoop job with this developer tool. There are a number of stages in the life of a Hadoop job, and Karmasphere's tools walk you through each step, showing the partial results along the way. I guess debuggers have always made it possible for us to peer into the mechanism as it does its work, but Karmasphere Studio does something a bit better: As you set up the workflow, the tools display the state of the test data at each step. You see what the temporary data will look like as it is cut apart, analyzed, then reduced.
Karmasphere also distributes a tool called Karmasphere Analyst, which is designed to simplify the process of plowing through all of the data in a Hadoop cluster. It comes with many useful building blocks for programming a good Hadoop job, like subroutines for uncompressing Zipped log files. Then it strings them together and parameterizes the Hive calls to produce a table of output for perusing.
Big data tools: Talend Open Studio
Talend also offers an Eclipse-based IDE for stringing together data processing jobs with Hadoop. Its tools are designed to help with data integration, data quality, and data management, all with subroutines tuned to these jobs.
Talend Studio allows you to build up your jobs by dragging and dropping little icons onto a canvas. If you want to get an RSS feed, Talend's component will fetch the RSS and add proxying if necessary. There are dozens of components for gathering information and dozens more for doing things like a "fuzzy match." Then you can output the results.
Stringing together blocks visually can be simple after you get a feel for what the components actually do and don't do. This was easier for me to figure out when I started looking at the source code being assembled behind the canvas. Talend lets you see this, and I think it's an ideal compromise. Visual programming may seem like a lofty goal, but I've found that the icons can never represent the mechanisms with enough detail to make it possible to understand what's going on. I need the source code.
Talend also maintains TalendForge, a collection of open source extensions that make it easier to work with the company's products. Most of the tools seem to be filters or libraries that link Talend's software to other major products such as Salesforce.com and SugarCRM. You can suck down information from these systems into your own projects, simplifying the integration.
Big data tools: Skytree Server
Not all of the tools are designed to make it easier to string together code with visual mechanisms. Skytree offers a bundle that performs many of the more sophisticated machine-learning algorithms. All it takes is typing the right command into a command line.
Skytree is more focused on the guts than the shiny GUI. Skytree Server is optimized to run a number of classic machine-learning algorithms on your data using an implementation the company claims can be 10,000 times faster than other packages. It can search through your data looking for clusters of mathematically similar items, then invert this to identify outliers that may be problems, opportunities, or both. The algorithms can be more precise than humans, and they can search through vast quantities of data looking for the entries that are a bit out of the ordinary. This may be fraud -- or a particularly good customer who will spend and spend.
The free version of the software offers the same algorithms as the proprietary version, but it's limited to data sets of 100,000 rows. This should be sufficient to establish whether the software is a good match.
Big data tools: Tableau Desktop and Server
Tableau Desktop is a visualization tool that makes it easy to look at your data in new ways, then slice it up and look at it in a different way. You can even mix the data with other data and examine it in yet another light. The tool is optimized to give you all the columns for the data and let you mix them before stuffing it into one of the dozens of graphical templates provided.
Tableau Software started embracing Hadoop several versions ago, and now you can treat Hadoop "just like you would with any data connection." Tableau relies upon Hive to structure the queries, then tries its best to cache as much information in memory to allow the tool to be interactive. While many of the other reporting tools are built on a tradition of generating the reports offline, Tableau wants to offer an interactive mechanism so that you can slice and dice your data again and again. Caching helps deal with some of the latency of a Hadoop cluster.
The software is well-polished and aesthetically pleasing. I often found myself reslicing the data just to see it in yet another graph, even though there wasn't much new to be learned by switching from a pie chart to a bar graph and beyond. The software team clearly includes a number of people with some artistic talent.
Big data tools: Splunk
Splunk is a bit different from the other options. It's not exactly a report-generating tool or a collection of AI routines, although it accomplishes much of that along the way. It creates an index of your data as if your data were a book or a block of text. Yes, databases also build indices, but Splunk's approach is much closer to a text search process.
This indexing is surprisingly flexible. Splunk comes already tuned to my particular application, making sense of log files, and it sucked them right up. It's also sold in a number of different solution packages, including one for monitoring a Microsoft Exchange server and another for detecting Web attacks. The index helps correlate the data in these and several other common server-side scenarios.


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Take part in a one-to-one session and help us improve the FRA website. It will take about 30 minutes of your time.
Based on the findings of 15 national reports and additional literature, the report documents the incidents and types of discrimination which occur in workplaces and labour markets across the EU. In addition the report highlights examples of anti-discrimination 'good practice' in counteracting discrimination, and presents selected recommendations for the EU and its Member States.
Each year the Agency draws together from the EU Member States a unique collection of data on the phenomena and manifestations of racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. In each Member State a National Focal Point within the Agency's RAXEN network provides analytical reports on a number of fields, and on top of this, the Agency commissions independent researchers to bring together the national findings in an overall EU synthesis.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed by the author/s do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of the Agency. No mention of any authority, organisation, company or individual shall imply any approval as to their standing and capability on the part of the Agency. This study is provided as information guide only, and in particular does not constitute legal advice.


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Story highlights
NEW: Report claims James Foley was waterboarded by ISIS captors
No point in asking Congress for action without having a plan, Obama says
"We don't have a strategy yet" to deal with ISIS in Syria, he says
Militant group says it executed hundreds of Syrian soldiers
It's too soon to say what steps the United States will take against ISIS in Syria, President Barack Obama said Thursday.
"I don't want to put the cart before the horse," Obama told reporters during a White House news briefing. "We don't have a strategy yet."
Obama said he's asked America's top defense officials to prepare "a range of options" about what the United States could do to go after ISIS in Syria, which he described as "a safe haven" for the Sunni extremist group that calls itself the Islamic State.
The President's remarks follow days of speculation about whether the United States had a plan to go after ISIS in Syria.
"We need to make sure that we've got clear plans, that we're developing them. At that point, I will consult with Congress and make sure that their voices are heard," Obama said. "But there's no point in me asking for action on the part of Congress before I know exactly what it is that is going to be required for us to get the job done."
Torture allegations
The Washington Post on Thursday reported that journalist James Foley, who was decapitated by ISIS, was tortured during his captivity.
Specifically, Foley was waterboarded, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the treatment of abducted Westerners.
Waterboarding is a controversial technique that was used by the U.S. in its war of terrorism. Waterboarding is a interrogation technique where water is poured over a cloth covering the subject's face, creating the sensation of drowning.
A senior U.S. official declined to confirm to CNN if the waterboarding claims are true, saying that such details would not be discussed out of sensitivity to the families of those still being held.
"As we have said, hostages held by ISIL are at risk every day they are in ISIL's custody, given what we know about the nature of this brutal group," the official said, using an alternate acronym for ISIS.
'We're not going to do that alone'
But the President made clear any plan to go after ISIS in Syria would take time and require a regional strategy. "We're not going to do that alone," he said.
The President said he was sending Secretary of State John Kerry to the region to work on building a coalition needed to face the threat of ISIS militants.
"Clearly, ISIL has come to represent the very worst elements in the region that we have to deal with collectively, and that's going to require us to stabilize Syria in some fashion," Obama said. "And stabilizing Syria means that we've to got get moderate Sunnis who are able to govern and offer … a real alternative."
But that may prove to be problematic. Syria's ally, Russia, has repeatedly blocked attempts by the U.N. Security Council that call on President Bashar al-Assad to step down as part of an effort to end the civil war that has wracked the country for three years.
Among the options Obama said he requested from the U.S. military were plans to make sure ISIS does not overrun Iraq.
U.S. airstrikes in Iraq are working, he said.
"The terrorists of (ISIS) are losing arms and equipment," Obama said, and Iraqi and Kurdish forces are making inroads.
But "the idea that the United States or any outside power would perpetually defeat ISIS … is unrealistic," Obama said, insisting that a strong, trusted Iraqi government is critical to ousting the Islamist terror group permanently.
What can the U.S. do against ISIS, and could it work?
ISIS claims mass execution in Syria
ISIS said Thursday that it has executed at least 250 Syrian soldiers at an air base in the northeastern city of Raqqa.
The group said on one of its official websites that it killed the soldiers Wednesday. It also claimed to have killed 600 government soldiers in the fight for the Tabqa air base since August 19.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, meanwhile, reported that 200 Syrian soldiers and 346 ISIS fighters died in the fight for the air base, which was considered the military's last holdout in eastern Syria. Hundreds more were wounded, the London-based activist group said.
ISIS claims that a video it posted online Thursday shows Syrian soldiers being paraded through the desert in their underwear. Another video posted by Syrian activists purportedly shows bodies lined up on the ground.
Later, ISIS posted a video that it says shows captured Kurdish soldiers, known as Peshmerga, wearing orange clothing similar to that worn by by American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff in other videos posted by the militant group.
Three masked men appear to decapitate one of the orange-clad soldiers in front of a mosque in Mosul.
In the video, titled "A message with blood to the leaders of the America Kurdish alliance," ISIS demands that the Kurdish government withdraw its forces from areas where it is battling the group.
CNN could not independently confirm the claims or the authenticity of the videos.
A 13-year-old witness to ISIS' beheadings, crucifixion in Syria
Fighting flares near Mosul Dam
The videos come amid reports of fresh fighting between ISIS and Kurdish forces near Iraq's Mosul Dam and the burning of oil wells near the strategic town of Zummar.
The Peshmerga are battling the militants near the town, important because of its location to the main thoroughfare that connects Mosul to the Syrian border, as well as near the Mosul Dam and the strategic Ain Zala oilfield, which ISIS forces seized from the Kurds this month, said Faud Hussein, chief of staff for Kurdish regional President Masoud Barzani.
Torching the three oil wells that make up the Ain Zala oilfield is an apparent effort by ISIS fighters to try to interrupt a Peshmerga advance on ISIS positions, Hussein said.
The extent of the damage to the oil fields wasn't immediately known.
The fighting comes nearly two weeks after thousands of Peshmerga and Iraqi commandos ousted ISIS forces for control of the dam, a crucial facility that provides electricity for millions of people in Iraq.
Kurdish officials have credited U.S. airstrikes against ISIS with helping Peshmerga forces push back against the extremists, whose breathtaking gains and brutal tactics captured the attention of world leaders.
Chelsea J. Carter and Catherine E. Shoichet reported and wrote from Atlanta. Hamdi Alkhshali reported from Atlanta. CNN's Barbara Starr and Jim Acosta in Washington, Anna Coren in Irbil, Iraq, and Jethro Mullen in Hong Kong contributed to this report.


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Secrets of the Milky Way
Contributing editor Jim Richardson is a photojournalist recognized for his explorations of small-town life. His photos appear frequently in National Geographic magazine.
It was a grand sight to see, the Milky Way stretching across the sky behind Owachomo Bridge. It was a natural subject for the opening spread of "Our Vanishing Night" in the November 2008 National Geographic.
First, let's get this out of the way. This is a straight shot.
That's right. No layers in Photoshop. No multi-image, bracketed-exposure HDR computer magic. No telescope-mounted clock-driven hours-long exposure. At National Geographic we really can't use all those wonder weapons of the digital era. Readers expect reality, and we try to deliver.
This picture involved just a camera on a tripod in front of the right scene. Well, almost. Photographing the Milky Way and not ending up with a big blur requires several elements, one of which has only been available in the past couple of years. Here's what you need to know. The Milky Way is out there every night. But you need a really, truly dark sky like what they have at Natural Bridges National Monument in southern Utah. You probably can't do this picture east of the Mississippi. I scouted this location during the day, looking for the right bridge, one that faced the right direction, one that I could get to in the middle of the night. Oh, and if you want a dark sky you can't have any moon. That's part of the next step.
You also need to know when and where the Milky Way is going to be "up." It rises and sets just like the sun and the moon. To find out when it will be visible, where it will rise, and whether or not the moon will be up (not what I wanted) I used a very nice astronomy program called SkyGazer 4 from Carina Software. This allowed me to set my location (southern Utah) and then spin the clock to see where the Milky Way would be at any given time. The answer, in this case, was that the southern Milky Way wouldn't rise until about 2:15 a.m.
I needed the southern arm of the galaxy because that is the one that looks toward the center of the galaxy and therefore is much bigger and brighter.
Now here is the real trick. In order for the Milky Way to be sharp in the picture, the exposure can't be any longer than about 90 seconds. (And that's with a very wide 14mm lens.) Any longer and the stars will start to move so much during the exposure that they will be streaks instead of points of light. In fact, 90 seconds is stretching it. Sixty seconds would be better. So the trick was having a Nikon D3 that would let me shoot at ISO 3200 to ISO 6400 with minimal digital noise. We've only had cameras that could begin to do this for the past few years. Right now the D3 (along with the now-available D700) is the high ISO champion. And I needed an f/2.8 lens that would produce sharp images wide open. Fortunately I had the Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens that is just phenomenal. It has very even illumination, and it makes sharp star images right out to the corners. (This is a very, very tough thing for a super-wide-angle lens to do.) Currently, this is about the only lens available that will do this.
Fortunately, the Milky Way is always the same exposure: 90 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 3200 will always get you a nice, bright Milky Way. Or, 60 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 5000 will work. Or 30 seconds, f/1.4, ISO 1600 works well, too. But note that there are no 14mm f/1.4 lenses. There is one 24mm f/1.4 lens and it can produce some fine star images, though with somewhat limited performance in the corners. The problem to be solved with that lens is getting it in focus, which is fiendishly difficult at f/1.4 in total darkness. It must be absolutely in focus. (Hint: Autofocus won't even come close.)
So by 2 a.m. I'm standing behind my tripod and, just like clockwork, the Milky Way is beginning to rise behind the Owachomo Bridge. It's just stunning. This spot has been named the International Dark-Sky Association's first dark sky park and I can see why. My picture is all framed up and my first picture tells me I've got the angle and exposure right. (I've practiced this stuff before.)
Now I just need two more things. First the Milky Way has to rise high enough in the sky to be dramatic before dawn floods the sky with light. So I figure I've got about two and a half hours.
And second, I want to light up the bridge. That's why I brought along four different flashlights. And that's why my young friend, a summer ranger at the park, has agreed to my crazy idea of coming out here in the middle of the night. While I run the camera and check exposures, he's under the arch, hiding behind some trees, painting the bridge with a flashlight during my 90-second exposure. I tell him when the shutter opens and he starts flashing the light, slowly and evenly, along the length of the arch. Too long in one spot and we would get a hot spot. Not long enough and it was too dark.
So for the next two hours we shot frame after frame, getting better and better at making nicely painted scenes of the arch as the Milky Way slowly moved into a great sweeping angle. It was exciting, being out there in the dead silence of the desert night, seeing our images getting better and better until finally I saw the first signs of blue creeping in from the east. But by then we had it. All in one exposure straight out of the camera. Wow!
One last technical tip that you'll need: The exposures took the requisite 90 seconds. (And I experimented with other exposures and ISO combinations along the way.) But then I had to turn on high ISO noise reduction. It's buried down in your camera's menus somewhere. This is essential. The sensor heats up during long exposures, building up unacceptable levels of noise. So the camera does a "null" exposure with the shutter closed, to see where the noise is building up, then digitally reverses that exposure and subtracts it from the real exposure. Voilà—the noise has been nullified, so to speak. Doing this will slow you down, but do not bypass this critical step. All this means you'll be lucky to do one exposure every five minutes. Use your dark sky time wisely.


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Bubble tea is taking over Korea and for this very reason, there are just too many spots in Seoul. They are popping up left and right, and the most famous chains are found worldwide. Here are a few of my favorites for the bubble tea lovers and anyone who is a newbie to bubble tea :]
Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!
Tags: food in Korea, bubble tea, drinks, boba, Gong Cha, Share Tea, Cha Time, Quickly, Bubble Pong


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The Fall Flare: What's Your Stance?
Flare jeans are back in a big way for fall and Fashionistas have some strong feelings on the issue. What's your stance? Will you be ignoring the trend and sticking with your skinny jeans and denim leggings, or embracing it wholeheartedly?
All you bohemian types seem to have an inherent affinity for flares and bell-bottoms (my most boho friend has two spare pairs of the J Brand Lovestory stashed away, in case it's discontinued). And though it's a natural with earthy-chic pieces like the updated clog, the flare doesn't have to be hippie. Pay tribute to sophisticated '70s fashion icons by pairing a restrained flare (Paige Denim and 7 For All Mankind do great ones) with a silk Equipment button-down and cognac accessories, or try them in white denim for a Carolyn Bessette-on-the-Italian-Riviera look.


text: According to Christian Aid Mission, one of the most significant leaders in the history of Christianity in China has died of cancer at the age of 76. Dr. Sun Yi-yin, known in America as Freddie Sun, organized and helped with the operation of 154 Bible institutes and missionary training centers inside China during a 20-year period from 1992 to 2012. More than 60,000 graduates of these schools, serving as native missionaries, have planted more churches in China and led more people to Christ than did all the foreign missionaries combined who served in China between 1807 and 1949. Dr. Sun said his his preparation for missionary service began during 10 years of forced labor in Communist prisons, during which he never lost his faith but instead increased his devotion to Christ. Before his imprisonment, Dr. Sun had served as a university professor and was involved with house churches in Shanghai started by Watchman Nee. Dr. Bob Finley, founder and chairman of Christian Aid, said: "I believe history will show that Freddie Sun's work ... during the past 20 years has a greater impact for the cause of Christ in that Communist country than that of any other single person or ministry. When I left China in 1949 we estimated that there were less than half a million evangelical Christians in the entire country. Today there are more than 100 million. Most have been won to Christ by native missionaries working with local house churches throughout the country. And by far the greatest source for these native missionaries has been the 154 Bible institutes started and financially supported by Freddie and Dorothy Sun since 1992."