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Topic category: Other/General
Political Action Follows Political Philosophy
The vast majority of human action reflects the thoughts, beliefs, and feelings of the actor. There have always been and there will always be those whose actions are erratic or divorced from reality. The actions of this small minority are best ascribed to pathology not philosophy. For the rest of us we think therefore we are. What we think about today we act upon tomorrow. In the realm of political action this holds true. The philosophies propagated today may not bear fruit or even appear to germinate during the lifetime of those who share them. However, if they resonate with the thoughts, beliefs and natures of others they will bring forth a harvest in due time.
The time and effort involved in producing a coherent and logical body of work in the field of political philosophy may feel like a fool's errand or wasted effort to the author working away often without recognition and in seclusion, never seeing the validity of their thoughts acknowledged by their peers or their intended audience. However, anyone involved in such an effort needs to have a long view and the fortitude to plant so that others may harvest.
Having prefaced my thoughts and illuminated my actions let me plant some seeds.
For my entire life I have had Progressive instructors, politicians, friends and relatives admonish me that the reason for subverting the greatest experiment in human personal liberty, individual freedom and economic opportunity in the History of humanity is that we need to provide for the less fortunate. They often refer to providing some type of economic security for those who cannot provide for themselves. They often mean the leveling of society so that there is a minimum level of economic security.
The problem with "economic security" is that the term is so vague how do we know when it has been achieved? Much like a war on terror it is open ended and can be interpreted in many ways. What is considered economic security to one may not be to another.
If by economic security we mean security with regard to physical needs and a minimum amount of food that is one thing. If by economic security we mean the guarantee of a certain standard of living or a pre-assigned social status we are speaking of something else altogether.
It seems clear that any society which has achieved the levels of sophistication and civilization that we have should be able to provide for the basic needs of our citizens who cannot take care of themselves without endangering the freedom of all. There will be debates as to the levels of help which should be provided; however as to the belief that we should not allow our fellow citizens to starve or freeze I believe we are all agreed.
These questions will undoubtedly cause political debate and they may even cause tempers to flare; however that there is some minimum standard all will agree. These minimum standards of economic security can be provided to those who cannot provide for themselves without endangering the wider economy and without unduly infringing upon the liberty of the productive members of society.
However, any attempt to guarantee the pre-assigned social status of anyone, or any group, the attempt to provide for those who can provide for themselves and choose not to do so will inevitably cause so many dislocations in the economy and require so many regulations both personal freedom and economic opportunity will be severely restricted.
This is where the debate heats up. We have those who believe our society can and should protect and provide for those who cannot protect and provide for themselves and those who wish to use social welfare for social engineering.
The levels of taxation and regulation needed to support the minimalist approach can easily be borne by our society and our economy without compromising our freedom if they are applied evenly and fairly. A flat tax without loopholes, subsidies or any of the other trappings of crony capitalism does nothing to inhibit innovation, enterprise, or competition. Regulations requiring the equal treatment of individuals or the setting of safety or access levels likewise do not detract from opportunity as long as they are universally applied.
However, to attain the maximized levels of central-planning required to impose a Utopian vision of equality of outcome on any society require so many regulations and such high levels of taxation that they effectively strangle innovation, enterprise and competition. Why couldn't that gigantic prison house of nations, the USSR, compete with the United States?
Because they professed to seek a society wherein everyone was equal at all times. Did they accomplish it? No. The ruling Communists simply replaced the ruling hereditary aristocracy. They killed millions to improve life. They destroyed the incentive and creativity of their people in an effort to produce a more productive economy by fiat instead of freedom. They eventually made working for the collective so meaningless that a common saying was, "They pretend to pay us so we pretend to work." Citizens ended up with worthless money, empty stores and services such as health care that only worked for the privileged government workers. In any society that robs Peter to pay Paul eventually everyone changes their name to Paul.
As dire as the results have always been for Utopian experiments it is the morality of attempting to level society that needs to be questioned. I contend that competition is a fundamental quality of humanity. Striving to improve, to provide for one's self and one's family are basic instincts, and when governments interfere with these in an effort to ensure the success of some they have to limit the success of others.
This has a butterfly effect where a regulation for a positive action here about that affects something else over there about this negatively. Multiply this many thousands of time and we have a cascading effect that restricts opportunity except for those who direct the effort to achieve the equality of all. Or as the last remaining commandment at the animal farm eventually said, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
No one is as smart as everyone. No set of central planners seeking the improvement of some can substitute their decisions for the millions of decisions made by free individuals seeking their own improvement. It just won't work. It never has and it never will. Therefore I contend that if it is inherently detrimental to society as a whole and since it is impossible to achieve it is immoral to attempt.
Man was created with free choice. This is our fundamental nature. Therefore what goes against that nature is contrary to the truth of who man is or is meant to be.
That the darker side needs to be restrained is generally agreed. Every society condemns murder. Even thieves have a code; at home they know theft is wrong. Children should be protected and provided for as should those who cannot protect or provide for themselves. No people has prospered or advanced by leaving their poor to starve or their sick to die.
Likewise no people have ever successfully built a society on the pipedream of equality of outcome. All that has ever produced is the fever dream of a socially engineered stagnant society where the government picks winners and everyone except the choosers and the chosen few end up losers.
The idea that man is meant to be free birthed this country. No matter how far we fall beneath the Progressive avalanche of regulation, taxation, and corruption this idea will one day once again take flight. As long as there are those who will propagate the philosophy the action will one day follow. Just as sure as a sunrise always follows the darkest night someday a free America will rise from the ash heap of History to which socialism inevitably leads.
Dr. Robert Owens
The History of the Future
Biography - Dr. Robert Owens
Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. Get the latest dispatches from the History of the Future and find books by Dr. Owens @ http://drrobertowens.com View the trailer for Dr. Owens' latest book @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ypkoS0gGn8 © 2014 Robert R. Owens firstname.lastname@example.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook.


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Even for believers, what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, seemed unbelievable. On that day of snowing dirt, a little chapel survived the hell that leveled skyscrapers of concrete and steel.
On that terrible day terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center, I was standing outside St. Paul's Chapel, one block from Ground Zero. A dozen modern buildings toppled all around, but St. Paul's — pieced together with brick and timber — stood without so much as a broken window.
The Rev. Daniel Matthews, rector of the parish of Trinity Church, walked with me through the church's graveyard, which was covered in ash. The dust of the dead had settled in the chapel cemetery.
Matthews stopped to dust off a headstone. "You know what everyone in the neighborhood is calling St. Paul's, don't you? The Little Chapel That Stood." He looked up and smiled.
"The most astounding thing for me was not the soot and the dust, but the paper," he continued. "There must have been 10 million pieces. Everybody's desk wound up flying out the window."
Some 460,000 tons of debris from the Twin Towers alone had landed nearby — enough concrete to build a 5-foot sidewalk from New York to Washington, D.C. Enough steel to build 20 Eiffel Towers. Sixteen acres of rubble, some of it nine stories deep.
Matthews figured St. Paul's Chapel was spared to shelter those who were not spared. "It is a symbol of where we have been and where we are going and what we have to do in the future."
Saving soles
The little church is the oldest in Manhattan. It opened in 1766, a decade before the Declaration of Independence. Most every president has prayed here, beginning with George Washington; he came to St. Paul's after this country's first inauguration. Guess what Kathy Fallon was doing in the president's pew the day I showed up?
"I'm sitting where George Washington and his family used to gather for church, fixing feet." Fallon said with a smile. She was running a foot clinic.
"It's appropriate to be in a church," another volunteer put in with a grin, "because, in a way, we're saving soles."
St. Paul's was a place where Ground Zero workers could rest; get a foot or back rub, a quick meal, and a kind word. "It's like a M.A.S.H. unit for the soul," Matthews said. "These volunteers did a great job."
A thousand of them served 12-hour shifts. They came from all over. On 9/11, foot doctor Fallon drove two and a half hours from her home in Armonk, N.Y. En route, she realized she would miss a celebration: Her husband, Jim, would have to blow out the 42 candles on his birthday cake without her.
Then she had another realization: "Oh my God, my baby is four months today!" The day the towers came crashing down and she rushed to Ground Zero.
"I need to be here," Fallon insisted. "When my son, James Edward, grows up, he'll understand what happened on Sept. 11. I think he'll appreciate that his mom was down here, trying to help out."
'They lost; we won'
We all tell our kids, "I'll be right back." After 9/11, some children didn't believe that. Victoria Alonso's mother, Janet, went to work at the World Trade Center that morning and never returned. Her dad was left to care for a 2-year-old daughter and a baby boy with Down syndrome.
"If I was to tell you I did this by myself, I'd be a liar; I'd be a flat-out liar," Robert said. "I got my mom, my aunt, my pop to help."
But he never returned to work at the pizza place he owned in Stony Point, New York. His family substituted for him. "I owe it to my children to be around," Robert explained. "If I buried my grief in work, my kids would lose both their parents."
He no longer put off anything that brought them joy. "If we're lying on the floor and all of a sudden Victoria says, 'Daddy, I want to go to the park,' I'm like, 'Oh, I don't want to go to the park.' That's what I'm thinking, but I say, 'Let's go. We're going to the park.' "
Robert shouted "Hang on, guys!" as the kids squealed with laughter. They were riding in a grocery cart, careening across the lot toward dad's big SUV. "Why should I deprive my children from going shopping?" Robert said. "I see all the other mothers going shopping with their kids. Why can't I do it?"
He raced alongside the grocery cart, jumped on its rear axle and pushed with a powerful leg. The children exploded with laughter again. "When my kids smile, the terrorists lose," Robert said with a grin. "The people who killed Janet wanted to destroy our happy lives. They lost. We won."
Since 9/11 Robert has taught his children to treat every moment like an unopened gift. "I don't want to be the rain cloud in my family," he said. "I want to give my kids the incentive to do things and go forward."
He coached Victoria's softball team to the New York State championship the year she turned 12. "We all went out and bought rounds of Lipitor," Robert chuckled.
And toasted his son Robby, too. The 10-year-old learned to walk and read before most kids with Down syndrome because his dad played with him every day.
Robert waited a long time for his family. He and Janet tried to conceive a child for 10 years, then gave up. Two months later, she was pregnant. They considered it a victory, so they named their daughter Victoria.
These days, when Victoria looks in the mirror, she sees her mother. "She was special to me," Victoria said, even though she can barely remember her mom. "I love her." She paused. Her eyes welled with tears. "People need to know that."
The two are much alike. Victoria is an honor student; Janet studied nights and weekends for years and graduated from college in her late 30s. She worked as an email manager on the 97th floor of the World Trade Center. On the day of the attacks, she had just gone back to her job at Marsh & McLennan after staying home to take care of her second baby, Robby.
Janet's body was found seven months after 9/11, on her son's first birthday. "God works in funny ways," Robert sighed. "Hearing the knock on the door and the news that Janet's body had been recovered from Ground Zero, that was the most difficult. It really knocked me out. It was like September 11 all over again."
I visited the Alonsos on the first Mother's Day after 9/11. Robert scooped up his kids and carried them out on the deck in back. "Come on," he said, "let's say hello to mommy in the stars." It was his 13th wedding anniversary.
As Victoria neared her 13th birthday, I asked her, "If your mom were sitting here today, what would you ask her?"
Victoria stared across her backyard in thought, then turned to me. "I'd ask her, 'What would she want to do with me today?' "
Good times keep bad memories at bay. The Alonsos spent that 9/11 in the park, near a memorial that their neighbors built to Janet and all the other parents from their New York City suburb who went to work that day but never came home.
Robby wandered to a wall filled with names as his father and sister played catch nearby. "Right here," he said, pointing to Janet Alonso's name etched in marble. "This was my mommy."
The little boy leaned over and scraped his fingers back and forth across his mother's name. His father watched, then rubbed his own hands together, as if he could scour away painful thoughts.
Robby drew his fingers to his mouth, kissed them and gently pressed them on his mother's name. "Mama," he whispered.
We all think about 9/11 once a year. The Alonsos live it every day.
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subset: commoncrawl


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"I am an outgoing storyteller with passion for (re)inventing products and services with people"
Sandra is a marketing scientist focusing on Persuasive Technology in the urban landscape, particularly sustainable transportation. Sandra graduated from the University of the Arts Berlin from the Strategic Communication program and majored in Psychology and Innovation.
Her in-depth human factors knowledge paired with her enthusiasm for slim cities led to an engagement with Vattenfall, one of Europe's largest energy suppliers. The engagement targeted an increase of electric vehicles and the positioning of the Vattenfall brand within this new market.
The experience she gathered during this project as well as her academic research in the field opened the doors to the MIT Media Lab, where she now investigates how persuasion profiling can lead to more sustainable behavior choices of personal urban mobility.
This year Sandra was selected as one of the "100 Most Creative People in Business" by Fast Company for her work in and around cities.


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CLINTON v. MISSOURI PAC. RY. CO.
7 S.Ct. 1268
30 L.Ed. 1214
May 27, 1887.
This case is in many respects anomalous and bristles with points, but it is otherwise not very important. It commenced in a proceeding instituted by the Missouri Pacific Railway Company of Nebraska, under a statute of that state providing for the condemnation of land for the use of railroads. It was begun in the county court of Cass county, Nebraska, by which a commission was appointed to make the assessment of damages. From this assessment, after it was returned to the county court, Samuel Clinton, some of whose land was taken, appealed to the district court of said county. In that court he made a motion, which was successful, to remove the case into the circuit court of the United States for the district of Nebraska. In this latter court a motion was made to remand the case to the district court of Cass county, which seems never to have been acted upon, but, on a motion made by the railway company to dismiss the appeal,—meaning thereby the appeal from the county court to the district court of Cass county,—the circuit court granted the motion, and dismissed the appeal. The matter, therefore, not being remanded to the state court, the circuit court of the United States deciding that no valid appeal had been taken from the county to the district court of Cass county, the dismissal of the appeal was, of course, an end of the case. To this judgment of dismissal the present writ of error is prosecuted.
The only error assigned by the plaintiff here is in the following language: 'The court below sustained the motion to dismiss solely upon the ground that the appeal had not been taken within the statutory time of sixty days after the assessment, deciding that the time commenced to run from the day when the commissioners met and viewed the land, and not from the date of the return of their assessment. This is the only error relied upo by plaintiff in error.'
John M. Thurston, for plaintiff in error.
John F. Dillon, for defendant in error.
[Argument of Counsel from pages 471-473 intentionally omitted]
The defendant in error insists that the case should be dismissed here for want of an assignment of errors. In regard to this it is sufficient to say that it would be difficult to formulate a more precise and specific assignment of error that that contained in the foregoing extract from the brief of the plaintiff.
The next point presented is that the ruling of the court in this case, upon the question of the dismissal of the appeal, is not presented by any bill of exceptions, and that there is nothing in the record on which this court can review that decision. But the determination of this subject is the final judgment of the court. This is so in any sense in which it can be looked at. The order to dismiss is in the following terms: 'This cause coming on to be heard this twentieth day of December, 1883, on the motion filed by the defendant to dismiss the appeal herein from the assessment of damages made by the commissioners appointed by the county court of Cass county, Nebraska, on the ground that said appeal was not taken within sixty days after the assessment of damages to said real estate by said commissioners, and for other reasons contained in said motion on file, and on argument of counsel, and on consideration thereof by the court, the court doth here find that said appeal was not taken within sixty days from the date of the assessment of damage made by such commissioners of the land in controversy, and the court doth sustain said motion to dismiss such appeal. It is ordered by the court here that said appeal be, and the same is hereby, dismissed, each party to pay its own costs.'
If it be true that the appeal from the Cass county court to the district court of that county was not taken in time,—that is, within the 60 days referred to in this judgment,—there is an end of the plaintiff's case in any court whatever. The circuit court for the district of Nebraska, assuming to come into the place of the district court of Cass county, and exercising the powers which that court would have exercised if the case had not been removed, holds that no valid appeal was taken, and for that reason dismissed the case. If such finding be correct, and it remains as a valid judgment, it puts an end to the plaintiff's claim. It can nowhere be considered any further, and it is final upon the questions involved in the case.
As to the proposition that it cannot be reviewed here for want of a bill of exceptions, that is equally untenable. A judgment of a court appealed from is never incorporated into a bill of exceptions. It is always a part of the record of the case, and, like the plea and the verdict, it needs no bill of exceptions, but is simply to be transcribed as a part of the record. In this case it presents for itself the point or matter on which the court acted. It is there distinctly stated that the case was dismissed because the appeal was not taken within 60 days from the date of the assessment of damages made by the commissioners. Now, if the facts on which this decision was made are to be found in what may be properly called the record of the case before the judge when he decided it, as it is here presented to us, then there was no need of any bill of exceptions in the matter. Whatever there was on that subject to guide the action of the court on the motion to dismiss the appeal was found in the transcript as it came from the state court, and was filed in the circuit court of the United States. If there was enough in that transcript to present the question in this case, then we must review it; for we take it to be a necessary rule in such cases that the transcript from the state court becomes a part of the record of the case in the federal court. There is no mode by which that transcript, or any of its contents, can be abstracted, and made a part of a bill of exceptions to be signed by the federal judge. He can know nothing about what takes place in the state court personally, and cannot therefore cr tify to it. It comes to him as certified by the court in which the proceedings were had. It is itself the foundation on which he is to act in the future proceedings in the case. It is already a record of another court, transcribed and certified to his court; and in any writ of error from the supreme court of the United States that transcript from the state court necessarily becomes a part of the record.
As regards the main point, that the appeal was not taken within 60 days, this transcript, which is said to be imperfect, sufficiently shows that the commissioners were appointed; that they returned the award and assessment of damages into the county court on the first day of December, 1881, allowing to Clinton for damages to his property, known as the 'Mill Reserve,' the sum of $850; and that on January 28, 1882, Clinton filed a notice of appeal from this award. Although the time is pretty close, it is very obvious—these things being matters of record—that Clinton intneded to appeal within the 60 days allowed by the statute, and that he did appeal within 60 days after the commissioners filed the award, and thereby made it public.
We think the circuit judge, in dismissing this appeal because it was not taken in time, erred in holding that the assessment of damages must be considered as having been made on the twenty-third of November, at which time they went upon the ground to view it. There is no reason to believe that on that day they made their assessment. There was no assessment of damages, however much it may have been talked about, until they concluded upon and signed a final report upon that subject; and it is not to be believed that the Nebraska statute, limiting the right of appeal from the award of such commissioners to 60 days, intended that period should commence to run at any time prior to the final action of the board in presenting their report to the county court. This point seems to have been so decided by the supreme court of Nebraska in the case of Gifford v. Republican Val. & K. R. Co., 20 Neb. 538, 31 N. W. Rep. 11. On this point, therefore, the judgment of the circuit court, which is here for review, was evidently erroneous.
Another point taken by counsel for defendant in error is that the requirements specified by the supreme court of Nebraska have not been complied with, that court having, in the case just referred to, decided that 'the essentially requisite proceeding to perfect an appeal from the award of commissioners in a case of this kind, and to give the district court jurisdiction of the same, is to file in the said court, or in the office of the clerk thereof, a certified transcript from the county judge of the condemnation proceedings, from the original application to said county judge for the appointment of commissioners to the report of such commissioners in the respective case, both inclusive.'
It is urged that the transcript filed in the district court in this case was imperfect and defective, among other reasons, because it did not contain a copy of any petition of the railway company for the appointment of commissioners. We are of opinion, however, that what was filed in the district court was sufficient to give that court jurisdiction to proceed further in the case. It contained the order appointing the commissioners, the swearing of them to perform their duties, the report which they made in the matter, the award of $850 damages upon Clinton's property, and the taking of the appeal by him, and the service of notice of that appeal on the parties. This is sufficient, at least, to show to the district court that a case had arisen which the statute intended might be brought before that court on appeal. If it had been suggested by either party that this transcript was imperfect or defective because it omitted some paper or order or matter in the county court, which was necessary to the hearing in the district court, the usual and proper way of correcting that evil, pursued in all courts of appeal, o uld be by certiorari directed to the court from which the appeal was taken, commanding it to send up the complete and perfect record.
The case of Gifford v. Railroad Co., above referred to, gives support to this view of the subject. There no transcript of the record in the county court, whether perfect or imperfect, was filed in the district court, and it was on this ground of the entire failure to have any transcript whatever of the proceedings in the county court filed within 60 days, as well as the absence of all sufficient effort to do so, that the dismissal in that case was sustained. In that opinion Republican Val. R. Co. v. McPherson, 12 Neb. 480, 11 N. W. Rep. 739, is cited with approval, in which case, although no transcript whatever was filed within the 60 days limited by the statute, yet the evidence given by the appellant of diligent effort to obtain atranscript from the county judge, and his refusal to make one in due time, was accepted as a sufficient reason why the appeal should not be dismissed.
We are of opinion that where there is a transcript furnished by the county judge, even though it be imperfect, the same having been filed in due time, and which could be amended as to its imperfections by the writ of certiorari, that it must be held sufficient to make the appeal valid.
For the error of the circuit court in dismissing the appeal, the judgment is reversed, and the case remanded to that court for further proceedings according to law.
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Paint Your Home a Color You'll Love
Painting your home's exterior is quite an undertaking. It has tremendous potential to improve curb appeal and how you – and your neighbors! – feel about your house. Select the right color(s) for results that you will be delighted to live with.
Look at the fixed elements of your home. The roof and any stone, brickwork, or siding are major components of your house's exterior surface. A paint color that complements them will offer a more pleasing, harmonious effect.
Your immediate physical surroundings – plantings, paths, or water features, for example – also need to be taken into account. Depending on personal preference, your exterior color can form a beautiful background or a charming contrast to these aspects.
You'll also want to consider the character of the neighborhood in which you live. Should nearby homes tend to focus on a subdued color scheme, your plans for fire engine red walls might fall a little flat … unless, perhaps, your home is shaded with a high hedge. If you are new to the community, strolling through the streets will give you an idea of its "personality," and perhaps a few decor inspirations to boot.
Your local climate ought to play a part in your color choice, and not just for aesthetic reasons (although, in winter, cotton-candy pink trimmed with turquoise works better as a Miami Beach painting style than in snowbound Midwestern cities). Light, bright colors also help to keep your home cooler by reflecting sun rays. These colors have the added advantage that they tend not to show signs of fading as quickly as darker hues.
Whatever the weather in your corner of the country, here's a tip: Take chips of your favorite paint colors outdoors. Look at them at various times of day to see how the light affects them. (You might even want to paint a small sample area of your home for a more accurate impression.) A general rule is to buy exterior paint a shade or two darker than you think is suitable, because it will lose some of its intensity in the open air.
Curb Appeal
Factor curb appeal into your decision as well. Potential buyers are drawn to classic, classy neutrals with clean white accents. Even if you have no plans to sell in the near future, coming home to an attractive, inviting house will give your spirits a lift. It also will create an atmosphere that puts guests at ease, equally important whether you are wooing potential clients or entertaining old friends. Pay particular attention to the entrance to your home; paint the front door a warm color that welcomes visitors and expresses your personality.
Tips from the Pros
Follow tips from the pros to get the best results with your paint job. Use two or three colors – or shades of the same color – to give your home's exterior interest and excitement. First choose the color of the field (the major expanse of outside wall space), second the trim, and finally the accent – for small areas such as shutters. These may complement each other or contrast. Call attention to a handsome architectural feature or make your home look larger with a light color; do the reverse with dark. Opt for colors and painting styles that match your home's period and design.
Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
Updated June 28, 2018.
Looking for a Pro? Call us(866) 441-6648


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A study by Ofcom, the UK communications watchdog, has unearthed some appalling statistics which reveal just how badly the general public treat password security.
According to Ofcom's "Adults' Media Use and Attitudes Report 2013" report, a poll of 1805 adults aged 16 and over discovered that 55% of them used the same password for most – if not all! – websites.
Why does this matter? Well, imagine you are a member of websites X, Y and Z – and you use the same password on each site. If X suffers from a data leak and their password database is accessed, or if hackers manage to work out your password for X, then the bad guys will not only have access to your X account, but Y and Z as well!
If that weren't scary enough, just over a quarter (26%) said that tend to use easy-to-remember passwords such as birthdays or people's names, opening the door for their online accounts to be hacked into by criminals.
It's worrying that so many people are making life so easy for cybercriminals and identity thieves, when it's actually remarkably simple to make strong password security a part of your everyday life.
In my experience, many people say that the reason they use the same password in multiple places, or choose passwords that are easy to guess or crack, is because they believe it's too difficult to remember different passwords for different websites – especially if they're being forced to use non-dictionary words or throw some funny characters into the mix.
And you know what, they're right. It *is* too hard to remember lots of passwords – even if you use a system like the ones in the following video:
(Enjoy this video? You can check out more on the SophosLabs YouTube channel and subscribe if you like)
And that's why the video also recommends using password management software – sometimes known as a password vault – like 1Password, KeePass and Lastpass.
Password management software can remember all your hard-to-crack passwords for you (they can even generate them to make sure they're super complex), and store them securely behind one master password.
Just make sure that your master password is really strong and not one that you'll forget (use the video above to help you create one).
Take care out on the net, and fix your passwords today!
Image of Man wearing dunce hat courtesy of Shutterstock.


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Digit Murphy
Assigned to: Coach Mentor - SlovakiaTeam USA – 1992, 1996, 2004 (Senior Team)Medals won: IIHF World Women's Championship 1992 SilverAwards: International Scholar Athlete Hall of Fame 2004…New England Hockey Writers' Coach of the Year 2001Other Hockey Experience: General Manager and Head Coach, Boston Blades (CWHL)…Head Coach Brown University 22 years…5 Ivy League titles…6 ECAC regular season or tournament titles…4 National Championship appearances…played for Cornell University 1979-83…has worked extensively with the National Development Camps every summer since its inception… presently one of the Mentor Coaches at the Development Camps in the summerPersonal Information: Currently resides in Providence, Rhode Island, USA with her partner Aronda and their six children (Olivia, Kevin, Brian, Griffin, Meaghan and Sean)…Hometown Cranston, Rhode Island, USAWhy have you joined AMP? As someone who has been a pioneer in the sport of women's ice hockey I feel that it is my obligation to give back to a sport that I am passionate about. The athletes in our sport deserve to be mentored, coached, and valued as elite athletes. There is much more work needed to be done in all aspects of women's hockey including global issues of acceptance of females as viable talented athletes and coaches, leadership development in women's athletics, and competitive experiences for women's hockey players at large!


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It can't be easy making films about war. It's so inherently dramatic that, as a setting for art, it's overdetermined; it drips with meaning even before the first scenes are set. And so much has been said already: War is hell. War is noble. War is surreal. War is absurd, a necessary evil, an inevitable evil, a pointless tragedy. Most war movies operate with a couple of the above assertions, since a hellish war gains meaning when it's noble (World War II) and an absurd war becomes criminal when it's hell (Vietnam).
Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noël), a moving and exceptionally well-crafted film from French writer-director Christian Carion, is not innovative in its portrayal of war. Based on the true story of an impromptu Christmas Eve truce during World War I, it establishes the horrors of trench warfare with the usual gunmetal grays and grimly resigned expressions. But except for a few missteps, the movie is so beautifully and sensitively rendered in its particulars, in its characterizations of soldiers and officers, and in its dramatization of a nearly miraculous event, that the result is an affecting piece of cinema.
It begins in 1914, on the eve of war, and deftly characterizes its key players. First we meet Sprink (Benno Fürmann), a German opera singer called into service despite his colossal fame. In Scotland, we're introduced to two brothers, William (Robin Laing) and Jonathan (Steven Robertson), the first of whom is thrilled that "At last, somethin's happenin' in our lives." With them is Palmer, their parish priest (Gary Lewis), a compassionate soul who follows the boys into the trenches to supply support and counsel. In the French camp, there's Audebert (Guillaume Canet), a buttoned-up lieutenant who hides his grief about his pregnant wife, whom he has not heard from in months, and Ponchel (Danny Boon), the aide-de-camp whose farmhouse is mere kilometers from the front — but behind German lines.
In no time, Merry Christmas turns to the trenches — bitterly cold, stunningly violent, and shockingly close to both ally and enemy — and then moves to the crux of the story, the truce. Such a thing really happened, following a pattern of impromptu fraternizations in which soldiers tossed cigarettes and chocolate to the same people they had earlier stormed and bombed. On December 24, 1914, on the front lines in occupied France, the Germans, French, and Scots agreed to a one-night truce. It ended up lasting several days, in which the men played soccer, drank, shared stories, and buried their dead. According to Carion, 99 percent of the real-life fraternizations happened through song, and that's how the writer-director brings his troops together. Sprink leads the German camp in carols; when the other side hears, they sing along.
So begins the most moving portion of the film, in which all three camps take brave and honest chances, trusting the enemy to hold the truce and not use it as an opportunity for a surprise attack. And of course, the absurdity of armed conflict is thrown into immediate relief. The men welcome their adversaries with painfully easy warmth. When they play soccer, it's practically an advertisement for sports as a humane surrogate for nationalistic aggression. And when they share a Christmas Mass and establish a cemetery for the dead, we can only gnash our teeth at the sheer idiocy of their circumstances — that men who know how to be good to one another are instead forced to kill.
Carion understands two critical things about his subject: first, that it's the story of people affected by the war, not those who created it. (He depicts Germany's crown prince as a spoiled, effete, and oblivious child.) And second, Carion knows that the sharpest tool in the war filmmaker's box is understatement. Once in a while, he goes too far; Palmer sheds tears when he hears that war has broken out, and the candles he has lit are extinguished by an unseen force. (Ugh.) But most of the time, we get a crisp script with gorgeously controlled performances from the actors, including rising star Daniel Brühl (previously of Good Bye Lenin!) as the German commander, and an excellent Guillaume Canet.
Merry Christmas is also expert at juggling a host of nationalities, languages, characters, and stories; its seamless transitions divide our sympathies between the opposing sides. At the same time, the film foreshadows the Second World War with subtle, chilling references. In a scene designed to display the idiocy of Palmer's bishop, we hear this cruel and misguided sermon: "With God's help, you must kill the Germans, good or bad, young or old, so it won't have to be done again." Merry Christmas' position is that it isn't godly to kill anyone for any reason, and yet … we know what's coming.
So does Merry Christmas refrain from taking any side but the human. It's an impressive film, accomplished at humanizing an experience that, while played out on an international stage, is inevitably personal.


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1870: Sylvain Salnave, deposed Haitian president
Add comment January 15th, 2019 Headsman
Former Haitian president Sylvain Salnave was executed on this date in 1870.
Salnave was a general who in 1866 overthrew and replaced president Fabre Geffrard — an act which "profoundly unsettled the country."
Salnave stood at the head of a triumvirate that promulgated a new and more democratic constitution in 1867, abolishing the president-for-life position that his predecessors had asserted — but the political rearrangement collapsed within months and saw the the president and legislature at loggerheads, and then at outright civil war as regional risings multiplied against Salnave.
The president held out under bombardment in the capital of Port-au-Prince until the last days of 1869, when he fled to what he believed was the safety in the Dominican Republic — only to be arrested by the Dominican general Jose Maria Cabral and handed back over to the now-triumphant Haitian rebels. They had Salnave tried on January 15 and immediately executed that same day.
On this day..
- 2007: Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Saddam Hussein aides - 2020
- 1811: The slaves of the German Coast Uprising - 2018
- 1648: Francis Ferdinand de Capillas, protomartyr of China - 2017
- 1784: Cassumo Garcelli, a Tuscan sailor on Boston Common - 2016
- 1944: Zinaida Portnova, Komsomol hero - 2015
- 1973: Lim Seng, under Philippines martial law - 2014
- 69: Galba, in the Year of the Four Emperors - 2013
- 1999: Recak Massacre - 2012
- 2000: Kasongo, child soldier - 2011
- 2009: A day in the death penalty around the world - 2010
- 1895: Charles Stokes, in the heart of darkness - 2009
- 1943: Sue Logue, George Logue and Clarence Bagwell - 2008
- Themed Set: The Spectacle of Private Execution in America - 2008
Entry Filed under: 19th Century,Capital Punishment,Death Penalty,Execution,Haiti,Heads of State,History,Politicians,Power,Public Executions,Shot,Soldiers,Wartime Executions
Tags: 1870, 1870s, civil war, january 15, port-au-prince, sylvain salnave


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The myth of preparation
There are three stages of preparation. (For a speech, a product, an interview, a sporting event…)
The first I'll call the beginner stage. This is where you make huge progress as a result of incremental effort.
The second is the novice stage. This is the stage in which incremental effort leads to not so much visible increase in quality.
And the third is the expert stage. Here's where races are won, conversations are started and sales are made. A huge amount of effort, off limits to most people, earns you just a tiny bit of quality. But it's enough to get through the Dip and be seen as the obvious winner.
Here's the myth: The novice stage is useful.
If all you're going to do is go through the novice stage before you ship, don't bother. If you're not prepared to put in the grinding work of the expert stage, just do the beginner stuff and stop screwing around. Make it good enough and ship it and move on.
We diddle around in the novice stage because we're afraid. We polish (but not too much) and go to meetings (plenty of them) and look for deniability, spending hours and hours instead of shipping. And the product, in the end, is not so much better.
I'm all for expertise. Experts, people who push through and make something stunning–we need more of them. But let's be honest, if you're not in the habit of being an expert, it's unlikely your current mode of operation is going to change that any time soon.
Go, give a speech. Go, start a blog. Go, ship that thing that you've been hiding. Begin, begin, begin and then improve. Being a novice is way overrated.


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On Sale: Retirement Havens
A weak economy triggers bargains and perks in all-inclusive continuing-care communities.
It's an intriguing but tricky sell: leave your home and neighborhood while you are still relatively healthy and move to a retirement community that offers a range of housing, country-club-style amenities and access to future care. To pay for your new setting, called a continuing-care retirement community (or CCRC), you fork over a hefty entrance fee, stiff monthly fees or both. Many people use the proceeds from the sale of their house to finance the price of admission.
When the real estate market and the stock market went south simultaneously, the pitch became more problematic. People who might have made the leap held off, either because they couldn't sell their house or because their retirement savings had taken a hit. Occupancy in these communities dropped, construction slowed, and a few major companies, such as Erickson Retirement Communities (now Erickson Living), filed for bankruptcy.
You'd think that such circumstances would make this a bad time to consider a move to a CCRC. In fact, the industry may emerge from the downturn in better shape, says Steve Maag, of the American Association of Housing & Services for the Aging. "The recession forced CCRCs to be more efficient and pay more attention to the bottom line," says Maag.
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Meanwhile, to get you in the door, the communities are offering everything from real estate services to bridge loans to a few hours of free packing. Some will even arrange to have a relocation company buy your house if you can't sell it. You wouldn't jump in just for a deal, of course. But if you are ready to move anyway, "now's the time to chase those bargains," says Michael Hargrave, of NIC MAP, which tracks the industry.
Beyond bankruptcy
Sue and Bill Vitale started shopping for retirement communities three years ago. "At my age, it wasn't fun taking care of landscaping and a 4,000-square-foot house anymore," says Bill, now 82. The Erickson communities appealed in part for their relative affordability -- entrance fees range from $110,000 to $580,000, depending on apartment size, plus monthly fees of $1,550 to $2,600 -- and the promise of a refund, contingent on the resale of the apartment. The couple decided on Ashby Ponds, an Erickson community being built near their home in North Hill, Va.
In October 2009, a month before they moved in, Erickson filed for bankruptcy protection: The company, with 20 communities completed or in development, was unable to square its expansion program with the credit and housing crunch. As its future was being decided, Erickson suspended new construction on communities that were still under development, including Ashby Ponds.
The news didn't bother the Vitales, whose apartment was already built and whose deposits had been placed in escrow as part of the bankruptcy proceedings. It did, however, rattle earlier waves of residents, whose deposits had no such protection, and it tarnished Erickson's long-standing reputation as an industry leader.
By the spring of 2010, Erickson had emerged from bankruptcy. It sold most of the properties still under development to Redwood Capital Investments but continues to manage them. Nonprofits own eight completed campuses, which Erickson also manages. Some campuses, including Ashby Ponds, still lack the assisted-living and nursing-home facilities that are key ingredients of the communities. Plans for development, including a resumption of construction, are under review. "The intent would be to complete those campuses," says spokesman Dan Dunne. The Vitales say they are confident that the caregiving component will eventually be built. For now, Erickson has arranged with nearby facilities to deliver care.
The right fit
Most people wouldn't consider the drone of low-flying planes a reason to choose a community, but for the Vitales, that was part of Ashby Ponds' appeal. Bill Vitale was once the director of Dulles International Airport, a five-minute drive away. Not only do the couple like being close to Bill's former workplace but they also like being able to hop on a plane: Their daughter and her family live in Dallas.
Finding a community that appeals to you is key to the process, says Brad Breeding, of Carolina Continuing Care Consultants, in Garner, N.C. "It's about where you want to be -- the location, the type of place, the feel you get." Still, don't let a nice dining room or a nearby shopping mall distract you from the caregiving component. "If you have Alzheimer's in the family, for instance, you want to make sure it has a good Alzheimer's unit," says Breeding. Some CCRCs contract with assisted-living or nursing-care units to deliver care off-campus. Better to investigate those arrangements now than find out later that you have to leave the community to receive care.
Balancing cost and risk
By choosing Erickson, the Vitales opted for a fee-for-service arrangement, in which you pay less upfront but more down the road if you need care later. Some fee-for-service communities require that you buy long-term-care insurance to cover your bases.
Contracts that include care in the upfront fee -- essentially a form of long-term-care insurance -- are more expensive. Many of them require deposits of $200,000 or more, along with monthly fees. In older CCRCs, you had little choice but to kiss your deposit goodbye when you walked through the door. Now, more communities are offering a range of options, including full, partial or declining refunds. A full refund generally entails a higher entrance deposit and is often contingent on the resale of your housing unit. With a partial refund, you get back a fixed percentage -- say, 50% -- and with a declining refund, the amount you are eligible to receive drops 1% or so each month until it disappears. A percentage of your nonrefundable entrance fee or monthly fees that the facility allocates to medical expenses may be tax-deductible. (Only those medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income are deductible.)
Despite all the payment-plan options, the decision usually boils down to your ability to cover current and future costs, including long-term care. Currently, the average cost of a year in a nursing home runs about $80,000, and assisted living costs about $37,600 annually. If you have plenty of home equity but only a modest monthly income, choose a community that guarantees paid-up care in exchange for a big upfront amount. But if you have reliable and sufficient monthly income, you might be better off choosing a community with a smaller entrance fee and pay-as-you-go care, particularly if you already own a long-term-care insurance policy.
While crunching the numbers, keep in mind that many of your current expenses, such as home maintenance and groceries, will be covered after you move. Communities usually check out your finances while you are checking out theirs, says Breeding. In general, they suggest that your monthly income be at least one-and-a-half to two times as much as their monthly fee.
Vetting the financials
Once you've winnowed the choices, look at the sponsoring organizations and their track records. Generally, companies that run several communities give you more to go on than a single-site community, says Maag. "That doesn't necessarily mean the single-site community is not as safe, but you would have to look harder at its financial status."
Even with the recession, average CCRC occupancy hovers around 90%. Occupancy that falls much below that benchmark could reflect a problem that will presumably mend itself (such as a depressed real estate market or overbuilt construction), or it could be indicative of poor management. If a community has been around for seven or more years and has yet to top 85%, "I'd raise tough questions," says Robert Kramer, of the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry.
Before you sign anything, have a lawyer or a geriatric care manager (find one through www.caremanager.org) help you review the community's financial statements, annual report and contract. Ask how much the community relies on entrance fees to finance future construction, how many new residents move in each year, and what percentage of the deposits is held in reserve for refunds. If you are being guaranteed care at no extra cost, look at the actuarial analysis, which will indicate whether the community is capable of delivering care ten or 20 years hence. Many CCRCs promise to cover your costs if you run out of money. Be sure the one you choose has the wherewithal to keep that commitment.
Sampling the sweeteners
With occupancy flat and waiting lists short, you have the leverage to negotiate a unit with a spiffier view or in a more convenient location, maybe with a few upgrades, such as better cabinets or carpeting. ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, based in West Point, Pa., has gone a step further, offering three-bedroom units for the two-bedroom price and two-bedrooms for the one-bedroom price in its Florida communities. It now offers prospective residents a mini vacation, including airfare, to check out the Sunshine State locations.
Can't sell your house? ElderLife Financial Services arranges for lines of credit of up to $50,000 for participating rental-style communities. The money covers your rent in the community while you wait for your house to sell at the right price. A second program provides financing for entrance fees: "We have done loans for as little as $50,000, as much as $1.1 million and everywhere in between," says chief executive Elias Papasavvas. Many communities will pick up the interest on the secured loans; variable rates range from 2.75% to 6.25%.
The Vitales had no qualms about moving to Ashby Ponds, but the move itself was daunting after living in their four-bedroom home for 24 years. They took advantage of Erickson's new moving services, which put them in touch with a real estate agent as well as a team that included a property stager to ready their house for sale (advice: put white, fluffy towels in all the bathrooms), a downsizer to help them weed out their stuff and an interior designer to plan their new apartment. When they finally put their house on the market, it sold in a week, for more than $700,000.
The movers drove away with their stuff on the day before Thanksgiving; the Vitales stayed at a hotel and arrived at their new digs the day after the holiday, in early afternoon. By that time, the movers and the transition team had done their work, says Sue. "It looked just like this," she says, gesturing to the immaculate, cream-colored living room. "Not a box, not a piece of paper was lying around. The dishes were in the cupboards, the clothes were in the drawers and closets, the beds were made. Every towel and washcloth was folded perfectly. We could have had a party."
The Vitales spent about $5,000 on the staging and move-in services and another $4,000 for the movers. Erickson sent them a $2,000 rebate afterward for using a recommended moving company, halving the moving cost. It also covered the cost of up to 12 hours of unpacking; and threw in a $5,000 allowance for apartment upgrades, including bathroom improvements. The couple considers the deal more than a bargain. Says Sue, "When we first came in and sat down, we said to each other, 'We're home.' "
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May 15 - Sep 30*
$ 1,525.00 (Bronze cat. - inside cabin & 3* hotel)
$ 1,725.00 (Silver cat. - outside cabin & 4* hotel)
$ 1,950.00 (Gold cat. - commodore cabin & 5* hotel)
$ 2,050.00 (Platinum cat. - deluxe cabin & 5* hotel)
Mar 25 - May 15
Oct 1 - Dec 22
$ 1,450.00 (Bronze cat. - inside cabin & 3* hotel)
$ 1,650.00 (Silver cat. - outside cabin & 4* hotel)
$ 1,775.00 (Gold cat. - commodore cabin & 5* hotel)
$ 1,855.00 (Platinum cat. - deluxe cabin & 5* hotel)
$ 400.00 (single supplement )
certain dates in June and July - additional supplement per person
single supplement - $400 all year round
$250 per person (subject to availability)
BRONZE category:
B2 cabin on ferry
3* centrally located hotel
SILVER Category:
Outside A2 cabin on ferry
4* centrally located hotel
GOLD Category:
Commodore cabin on ferry
5* centrally located hotel
PLATINUM Category
Deluxe Cabin on Ferry
Superior Deluxe hotel
Gold and Platinum categories include priority disembarkation
3 nights St. Peter Line ferry:
Stockholm - Helsinki
Helsinki - St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg - Helsinki
2 night accommodations in St. Petersburg
3 breakfasts and 3 dinners onboard
2 breakfasts at the hotel
Russian cuisine dinner at a local restaurant
Transportation by sedan car or minibus
English speaking guide
All admission and entrance fees
Tax and service charges
Gold and Platinum categories include minibar and one-time sauna admission on the ship
St. Petersburg City Tour
Visit to Spilled Blood Church
Visit to Peter-and-Paul Fortress
Visit to Faberge Museum
Pushkin with Catherine Palace and Amber Room
Petergof Lower Park with Fountains
The State Hermitage Museum
St. Petersburg City Tour
Visit to Spilled Blood Church
Visit to Peter-and-Paul Fortress
Visit to Faberge Museum
Pushkin with Catherine Palace and Amber Room
Peterhof Lower Park with Fountains
The State Hermitage Museum
City Tour in Stockholm: $350 per person (4H old town walking with Vasa Museum and Royal Palace)
City Tour of Helsinki: $155 per person (3H total: 1H walking and 2H by car)
Hermitage Impressionists Pavilion - USD 65
17:30 - ferry departs from Stockholm
Embark St. Peterline M/S Anastasia ferry in Stockholm at 17:30 (5:30pm). Dinner and overnight onboard. (D)
08:30 Arrival in Helsinki on Friday, Saturday and Sunday07:00 Arrival in Helsinki on Monday 11:30 Arrival in Helsinki on Wednesday and Thursday
Breakfast onboard. Arrive in Helsinki at 11:30am. Spend all day on your own in Helsinki or meet your guide at the ferry terminal and continue on a sightseeing tour of Helsinki and Porvoo (optional). You need to be back at the sea terminal around 17:30 (5:30pm) for boarding. Departure to St. Petersburg at 19:00 (7:00pm). Dinner and overnight onboard (B, D)
9:00 Arrival in St. Petersburg
Breakfast onboard. Arrival in St. Petersburg at 9:00 am. Disembark and go through passport control procedure. Your guide will meet you outside the customs.
Your visa-free St. Petersburg tour starts with a city sightseeing including the center with Nevsky Prospect, Admiralty Building, Kazan Cathedral, Strelka with Rosstral Columns, Canal Griboyedova, Fontanka, the Palace Square with Winter Palace, Summer Gardens, St. Isaac Cathedral, Spilled Blood Church and other remarkable landmarks. The tour includes visits to Spilled Blood Church, Peter-and-Paul Fortress and Faberge Museum.
Peter-and-Paul Fortress was built in 1704 to defend the city from naval attacks, however it never served its primary purpose. Instead, its historical mission turned out to be rather gruesome: thousands of workers died while building the fortress, many political prisoners, including Peter's own son Alexi were kept and tortured in its cells. The tombs of the Romanov family are also in its Cathedral.
The stunning Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. The construction of the church was almost entirely funded by the Imperial family and thousands of private donors. Both the interior and exterior of the church are decorated with incredibly detailed mosaics, designed and created by the most prominent Russian artists of the day
Famous Faberge Museum at the Shuvalov Palace with the biggest collection of Faberge works including famous Easter eggs.
After a delicious Russian cuisine meal at the local restaurant, you will get to the hotel around 17:00 (5:00 pm). Time to rest or explore on your own. Overnight in St. Petersburg. (B, D)
* total tour time is 7 hours. Start and end times might vary depending on how fast you go through passport control procedure
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we drive to Peterhof, through the suburbs and summer houses (dachas) of the local people. In Peterhof, we will visit the Upper and Lower Park with fountains, dominated by a spectacular Grand Cascade. The Grand Cascade with its gilded statues is the centerpiece of the park. Stroll around and learn about the unique pumpless fountain system, enjoy "trick fountains" invented by Peter the Great to entertain his guests, walk along the Gulf of Finland' with its beautiful sea views and St. Petersburg panorama.
Another visit today is to the Hermitage Museum. We will spend several hours in the main building where you will see old European masters including Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, Michelangelo, Rubens, Titian, and Rembrandt, etc.**
* Petergof fountains are closed approx. from the end of September to mid-May. We will visit Yusupov Palace with Gregory Raspitin cellars instead.
19:00 - Departure from St. Petersburg on Saturday
18:00 - Departure from St. Petersburg on Sunday
In the morning we drive to Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo) to visit the famous Catherine Palace with its legendary Amber Room. Designed by the Italian architect Rastrelli, it is one of the top St. Petersburg landmarks. The town itself is a charming suburb named after the greatest Russian poet, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
Our visa-free cruise to St. Petersburg comes to an end. Some free time before heading back to the ferry terminal. Check-in and boarding atarts at 17:00 (5:00pm). Departure is at 19:00 (7:00 pm). Dinner and overnight onboard (B, D)
08:30 Arrival in Helsinki on Friday, Saturday and Sunday07:00 Arrival in Helsinki on Monday 11:30 Arrival in Helsinki on Wednesday and Thursday
After early breakfast onboard arrive in Helsinki, disembark (B).


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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Time Warner Cable (TWC) has launched "TWCWiFi-Passpoint," a new national WiFi network that offers enhanced security while surfing the Internet on-the-go. The new service uses powerful encryption technology to ensure customers get the same level of protection on TWC's public WiFi network that they receive with their in-home TWC WiFi connection. Additionally, TWC is launching HotSpot 2.0 technology on most of the access points across its nationwide network, making it the largest Passpoint-enabled network in the country.
TWCWiFi-Passpoint uses the latest generation security that is enterprise-grade WPA2™ and is available for most WiFi-enabled laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The new network option is available on nearly all of TWC's 33K+ WiFi hotspots throughout Southern California, New York City, Austin, Charlotte, Kansas City, Myrtle Beach and Hawaii. Customers with Standard Internet or above with qualified devices will be able to select the new TWCWiFi-Passpoint SSID or continue to access the TWC WiFi SSID. After connecting to TWCWiFi-Passpoint the first time, customers will then seamlessly connect to the new preferred secure network whenever in broadcast range.
"Our goal with TWCWiFi-Passpoint is to assure even our most security conscious Internet customer that it's as safe for them to surf the Web on-the-go as it is for them to surf in their home," said Rob Cerbone, VP Wireless Products for Time Warner Cable. "We want our qualified Internet customers to take advantage of the added value they can get with free TWC WiFi."
With the launch of TWCWiFi-Passpoint, TWC is the largest Passpoint-enabled network in the country to date, which offers Hotspot 2.0 technology. This technology ultimately will allow for seamless roaming between WiFi networks similar to the way cellular phone users roam cellular networks. This technology is now available on many of the most popular recent mobile devices, such as iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy 4, and HTC One to name just a few. "The TWCWiFi-Passpoint network supports Hotspot 2.0 technology, which is a critical first step in setting up a seamless WiFi experience nationwide," said Cerbone.
Edgar Figueroa, CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, praised the deployment of TWCWiFi-Passpoint and said, "By deploying a Passpoint-enabled network across thousands of hotspots, Time Warner Cable has taken a leadership stance in deploying advanced Wi-Fi technology. We commend Time Warner Cable for their vision of delivering a great connectivity experience to customers, wherever they go."
As TWC continues to build out its WiFi network, all new hotspots will offer the TWCWiFi-Passpoint network option.
Customers can look for hotspots that have the TWCWiFi-Passpoint SSID using the TWCWiFi coverage map <twc.com/wificoverage> and at the end of this month, will be able to find and connect to any TWC WiFi® Hotspot using the free TWC WiFi Finder app available in Google Play and the Apple App Store. TWC customers sign in using the same TWC ID credentials they use to manage their online Time Warner Cable account.
For more information about Time Warner Cable WiFi™, visit twc.com/wifi.
About Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE:TWC) is among the largest providers of video, high-speed data and voice services in the United States, connecting 15 million customers to entertainment, information and each other. Time Warner Cable Business Class offers data, video and voice services to businesses of all sizes, cell tower backhaul services to wireless carriers and enterprise-class, cloud-enabled hosting, managed applications and services. Time Warner Cable Media, the advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions. More information about the services of Time Warner Cable is available at twc.com, twcbc.com and twcmedia.com.


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The Internal Revenue Service may have money for you. Was your income below the limit that requires you to file a tax return? If so, you may still be due a refund.
If you have not filed a prior year tax return and are due a refund, you should consider filing the return to claim that refund. If you are missing a refund for a previously filed tax return, you should contact the IRS to check the status of your refund and confirm your current address.
Unclaimed Refunds
Some people may have had taxes withheld from their wages but were not required to file a tax return because they had too little income. Others may not have had any tax withheld but would be eligible for the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit.
- To collect this money a return must be filed with the IRS no later than three years from the due date of the return.
- If no return is filed to claim the refund within three years, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.
- There is no penalty assessed by the IRS for filing a late return qualifying for a refund.
- Current and prior year tax forms and instructions are available on the Forms and Publications page of IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
- Information about the Earned Income Tax Credit and how to claim it is also available on IRS.gov.
Undeliverable Refunds
Were you expecting a refund check but didn't get it?
- Refund checks are mailed to your last known address. Checks are returned to the IRS if you move without notifying the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service.
- You may be able to update your address with the IRS on the "Where's My Refund?" feature available on IRS.gov. You will be prompted to provide an updated address if there is an undeliverable check outstanding within the last 12 months.
- You can also ensure the IRS has your correct address by filing Form 8822, Change of Address, which is available on IRS.gov or can be ordered by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
- If you do not have access to the Internet and think you may be missing a refund, you should first check your records or contact your tax preparer. If your refund information appears correct, call the IRS toll-free assistance line at 800-829-1040 to check the status of your refund and confirm your address.


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One of my first ever hikes in Hokkaido was a memorable one. Not only was it my first outing with my father-in-law, but I also came across something I hadn't seen in all my years hiking and trekking in New Zealand. As I was working my way up the trail, I could hear an odd song far away in the distance, but I just couldn't work it out. Another kilometer up, I heard the sound again but, this time, I thought It was something in my ears, because I was sure I could hear a ringing, like the sound of bells. I was about to ask my father-in-law but thought twice about it. My Japanese was very poor at that time, and I wasn't sure how I would communicate to him. If I tried using hand signals and gestures, he would have thought I was completely off my rocker. A few more meters up, and the sound was getting louder. I was now sure it wasn't my ears. I was positive I could hear bells and knew it couldn't be Christmas in July—even in Japan. Just then, we ran into a couple of other hikers working their way down, and each of them had bells attached to their backpacks, but I couldn't work out why. When I got home, I asked my wife if she knew the reason for the bells. That's when I discovered another thing about hiking in Hokkaido that was a complete surprise to me—bears—and brown bears at that. In New Zealand, we really don't have to worry about any dangerous animals. I was told Japanese hikers wear the bells to warn the bears that people are nearby. For those new to the column, I have been in Hokkaido more than 11 years and work as an English teacher and trekking guide. Since that trip, I have heard the sounds of bells more than I can count. For the first few years, I really hated bear bells and just couldn't understand why people would use them. Why would people prefer to listen to that constant ringing instead of the beautiful sound of nature? Over the years, I've grown to understand why people use bear bells here. For one, it makes people feel safe; and two, I think it does work. I have never heard of any bear attacks on any hiking trails or popular hiking areas here in Hokkaido since I've been here. I'm not saying there have never been any; I just have never heard of any, and I've spent years asking. The only attacks I know about in Hokkaido have been people looking for mountain vegetables wandering in the mountains. A long time ago, an old Japanese guy who is a very experienced local hiker and mountaineer explained it like this: "The bears know where the people are and know that people use the trails because of the bells, and that's why there have been no attacks. He adds, "We give up a small piece of our peace and quiet to keep the bears safe and to let them know we are around, so we don't surprise them. It gives them time to get out of our way." In a sense, it puts the ball in the bear's court." Here in Hokkaido, there is a one-strike rule. If a bear does get itself into trouble, it is shot; no questions asked. Many hikers in Japan also think it is irresponsible if you don't use a bell. I for one still have a love/hate relationship with bear bells, but I do use them. Pig Tip : What I do is I keep mine very handy and easy to get at while hiking. Usually it is tucked in somewhere, so it can't ring, but if I see some fresh bear signs or if I just feel uncomfortable, I will bring it out and have no problem using it. Puzzled Pig: One thing I can't understand. I have seen groups of 10 to 20 people hiking together in a line and everyone has a bell, so you can hear them up in space. Why does everyone need a bell?
The 'Blessed' Sound of Bells
[novo-map id=2 individual="yes"]
Adventures of the Hokkaido Bush Pig
The Adventures of the Hokkaido Bush Pig 3
You never know who you are going to meet and where you are going to meet them. This month I thou...
Adventures of the Hokkaido Bush Pig
The Bush Pig goes Rambo 1
In this issue, I am talkin' knives and, more to the point, if it is better to have a big knife or a ...
Adventures of the Hokkaido Bush Pig
Packing It In
Packing your backpack for spring or summer hiking trips can be a matter of preference, but one thin...
Adventures of the Hokkaido Bush Pig
The Adventures of the Hokkaido Bush Pig
There I was, heading up another Hokkaido trail, when two people we passed on their way down said, "...


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Nothing like throwing myself in the deep end. I tend to avoid alterations like the plague, but when said blazer belongs to daughter, the rules seem to bend. Wish me luck! I am jumping in, armed with this excellent tutorial from The English Tailor - bless him!
UPDATE: One sleeve shortened successfully. It has taken all day! Hopefully, the second one will be quicker and less nerve wracking ;)


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Metadata language
Poland ; Mazowieckie Voivodeship ; Krotoszyn county ; Zduny commune ; RudaTopographic location: See the map: Century: Object type: State of preservation- mill building: Research Manager/ Creator of Collection: Author (of drawing, photo, record): References:
Sulimierski, F., Walewski, W., Krzywicki, J., & Chlebowski, B. (Eds.). (1880). Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich (Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and Other Slavic Countries), vol. 9. Warszawa, s. 884.Resource type: Detailed Resource Type: Language: Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 licenseTerms of use:
Copyright-protected material. [CC BY 4.0] May be used within the scope specified in Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 license, full text available at: ; -Digitizing institution:
Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of the Polish Academy of SciencesOriginal in:
Department of Environmental Resources and Geohazards, IGSO PASProjects co-financed by:
Operational Program Digital Poland, 2014-2020, Measure 2.3: Digital accessibility and usefulness of public sector information; funds from the European Regional Development Fund and national co-financing from the state budget.Access:


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It will surprise precisely nobody that the fastest mobile broadband among America's 10 biggest cities can be found in San Jose, the self-proclaimed capital of Silicon Valley. What is less obvious however is that the high average speed recorded in San Jose is thanks to T-Mobile, the "uncarrier" whose fourth-generation long-term-evolution (4G LTE) mobile broadband only went live earlier this year.
Indeed, looking at networks is more instructive than looking at cities: Philadelphia would be chugging along nicely at average LTE download speeds of 6.51 Mbps if it weren't for Sprint, whose dismal 2.43 Mbps download speed drags the average down to 5.49 Mbps, the worst among the 10 biggest cities in the US. T-Mobile's speeds in San Jose are nine times faster than Sprint in Philadelphia. Sprint's speeds were the worst in nine out of the 10 cities surveyed. T-Mobile's were the best in six.
The numbers come from the folks at OpenSignal, makers of a network coverage analysis app of the same name. They periodically investigate the reams of data collected by the app; previous research includes this wonderful illustration of just how fragmented the Android ecosystem is. For the LTE study, OpenSignal's researchers looked at data over a period of six months to ensure isolated incidents didn't mess with the sample. The relative newness of T-Mobile's 4G network, and therefore its fewer subscribers, may be one factor that contributes to its faster speeds. But Samuel Johnston of OpenSignal insists his sample represents all four networks well. Moreover, Sprint and T-Mobile have a comparable number of users. That is what makes the wide gulf in service that much more remarkable.
We have contacted Sprint for comment and will update when we receive a response.


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Comic books can be a difficult to get into, what with their years of serial storytelling and convoluted continuity. Luckily, there are plenty of one-and-done graphic novels out there. Here are some of the best four-color gateway drugs.
In picking these books, I tried to avoid picking from the über-obvious (Watchmen) and those books about familiar superheroes (Dark Knight Returns). We love ourselves some capes here at io9, but the medium goes beyond up, up, and away. Also, I wanted to keep the selection affordable, self-contained, and accessible — you should be able to find all of these books at a fair price online. And with these stand-alone stories, all you need is one hit.
Orbiter by Warren Ellis and Colleen Doran (2003)
In the near future, Kennedy Space Center has been abandoned after the Space Shuttle Venture disappeared in orbit. 10 years later, the Venture returns to Kennedy...covered in organic skin. What happened to the crew? For a Warren Ellis book, Orbiter is surprisingly devoid of scatologically florid insults, chain-smoking protagonists, and threatened eviscerations. It's also one of his more hopeful books and offers an extraterrestrial tale tinged with — dare I say? — humanism.
Black Hole by Charles Burns (finally compiled in 2005)
Burns' graphic novel took a decade to finish, but it was worth it. In the suburbs of Seattle, teenagers who are infected with a mutagenic STD are exiled to the woods. We don't know where "The Bug" came from, but we do know that growing up sucks a lot more when you sprout an extra mouth on your throat. Burns will be back in October with his Tintin-inspired X'ed Out. Speaking of which...
Tintin in Tibet by Hergé (1958)
The Tintin series dabbled in science fiction — Flight 714 tackled ancient astronauts, The Calculus Affair featured superweapons, and this book stars an antagonist most abominable. But antagonist is too harsh of a word, as the book has no villain. In this adventure, Tintin searches for his old friend Chang, whose plane has crashed in the Himalayas. Easily the most beautiful Tintin book in both visuals and narrative, Tintin in Tibet is a rumination on loneliness, sacrifice, and the power of hope against a merciless frozen backdrop. It's the most mature and accessible Tintin tale by far, and the story's barely contingent on the boy reporter's prior adventures.
Heavy Liquid by Paul Pope (1999)
Somewhere in late 21st century New York City, a man named "S" is pouring a mysterious metal into his ear canal. This metal isn't on the Periodic Table, but it gives you one helluva buzz...and that man in the Picasso mask is one of several dodgy characters who wants it. Paul Pope builds a future that's not much different from our own, barring the 30-minute transatlantic flights and defense robots. Pope's artwork makes the tale all the more believable — he depicts the shadows and creases of reality like no one else in comicdom.
Marvel Boy by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones (2000)
Marvel Boy is a superhero comic that remixes 1960s Marvel tropes with Grant Morrison's best high concept weirdness. Gamma-powered super-soldiers! Living corporations! Mind-control saliva! You don't need to know anything about the Kree Empire, S.H.I.E.L.D., or the Marvel Universe whatsoever to appreciate James Bond-esque evil billionaires in Iron Man armor. The titular Marvel Boy is a fixture of the 616 Universe nowadays, but his modern appearances have almost nothing to do with this shimmering pop collage.
Ronin by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley (1983)
Ronin doesn't get the love of other Frank Miller books, which is a pity. The movie's been in development hell for a while now, but no matter. This graphic novel about an ancient samurai loose in dystopian New York City evokes both the grittiness of 1980s comics and a future where human evolution's gone haywire.
Enigma by Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo (1993)
One of the earliest titles from DC's Vertigo line, Enigma is one of Peter Milligan's finest works. Murderous supervillains from Michael Smith's childhood comics are coming to life. Who's doing this? What control does the comic's author have over these characters? And what does this have to do with Michael's sexuality? This oddly sweet book is filled with enough metatextual metahumans to satisfy any Vertigo aficionado.
I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and J. M. Ken Niimura (2008)
Barbara Thorson is a D&D loving fifth grader who makes some rather bold claims about her titan-slaying abilities. This doesn't endear her to her classmates, but when elements of her fantasy begin to pervade the real world, Thorson must make good on her boasts. This here's a trippy and charming coming-of-age fable.
What are your favorites graphic novels to foist upon your hapless pals? Sound off in the comments!


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Southwestern Bean Soup
Recipe By : Donna Adwin
Serving Size : 17
I got this recipe from a friend I met at Weight Watchers. It's easy to make (basically just opening cans!) and tastes really good. Nice and warming on these cold winter days. It does make quite a bit though – I ate it practically every day for a week – so unless your family will eat it too, you might want to freeze some of it. There are 1 1/2 points per cup serving. –Miriam
1 package Morningstar burger crumbles
1 can shoepeg corn — see note
1 can pinto beans — drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans — drained and rinsed
1 can black beans — drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles — see note
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning mix
2 cups water — or more, see note
Put all ingredients into a large pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about 2 hours. Add additional water if the soup is too thick.
Yield: 17 cups
Per serving: 120 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 142mg Sodium
NOTES : You can use plain diced tomatoes or any other flavor that you wish.
You can use any kind of corn.
You will probably have to add additional water. I used 4 cups, but use more or less depending on how "soupy" you want this to be.
Weight Watchers: 1 1/2 pts
Posted by Miriam to Veg-Recipes


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Job Information
United Rentals Branch Manager- Power & HVAC in Downey, California
Great company. Great people. Great opportunities.
As Branch Manager at United Rentals, you'll be the leader of a major business enterprise. You'll have the opportunity to hire and motivate an amazing team in various roles, from sales and service to maintenance and drivers. You'll ensure enthusiastic and informed customer service. And you will build a profitable location with your business and management skills, ambition and competitive spirit.
Sound challenging and fun? Consider getting on the management track at United Rentals, the largest equipment rental company in the world. We'll provide the tools, the technology and the support you need to do the job right. You'll be proud of your employees, your branch and the work we all do in providing the equipment that helps build our communities.
Additional duties include the following:
Manage overall branch operations to ensure safety, productivity, customer service and profitability
Oversee sales efforts and business initiatives
Prepare reports, including profit and loss statements, monthly operating reviews, yearly budgets and other reports detailing operational status
Manage personnel matters
Oversee all safety matters, including audits, safety training, OSHA compliance, DOT regulations and drug and alcohol testing
Other duties assigned as needed
Job Requirements:
Bachelor's Degree Preferred
Minimum 5 years of successful business management experience with profit and loss responsibility at a branch or other individual profit center
An understanding of business accounting principles and budget preparation
Strong sales and customer service experience required, outside sales experience preferred
Effective leadership, motivational, organizational and communication skills
Proficient computer skills and experience using Microsoft Office
Knowledge and experience in the equipment rental industry preferred
Valid driver's license with acceptable driving record
This position is deemed Safety Sensitive for purposes of United Rentals' policies and procedures.
At United Rentals, the largest equipment rental company, we believe that it takes great employees to build a great organization – and we're passionate about helping our people grow professionally and embrace teamwork in everything they do. Our culture is based on our corporate values and centers on mutual respect, job satisfaction, diversity and a shared responsibility to build a better future.
What's in it for you?
U.S. Full Time roles : Best in class benefits offering includes medical, dental, vision, flex spending and health savings accounts; 401(k) retirement with company match; life and disability insurance; and paid time off including sick, vacation, holidays, and paid parental leave. Comprehensive training and development and career growth opportunities.
U.S. Non-Full Time roles: Benefits offering includes 401(k) retirement with company match; paid time off including sick, vacation and holidays; and comprehensive training and development and career growth opportunities.
Canada: Best in class benefits package which includes medical, dental & vision, RRSP/DPSP*, paid time off, comprehensive training and development, and career growth opportunities.
*Offered for full time roles, non-full time eligibility in select provinces.
United Rentals, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Compensation Range:
$75,850.00 - $121,350.00


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Lottery Watchdog Says She Will Stay on Guard
Dawn Nettles' passion for the Texas Lottery started as a report on lottery results and related articles, and over the last 20 years it has evolved into a full-time job.
Dawn Nettles chuckled when she talked recently about how her friends and family hate her passion for the Texas Lottery, which has consumed many of her waking hours for more than 20 years.
During that time, Nettles, 63, of Garland, has gained a reputation across the state as the watchdog of the Texas Lottery — but that was never her goal.
"I'm in this position purely by accident," she said. "One thing led to another and another, and now I'm here."
Since 1993, Nettles has produced The Lotto Report,
which began as a biweekly publication on Texas lottery results. In 1999 she started a website that posts results and lottery-related articles. Her original desire to inform lottery players has turned into a mission to ensure that the system operates fairly.
It has also become a full-time job; Nettles says she typically works 14 to 16 hours a day. A yearly subscription to The Lotto Report costs $37.50, and Nettles said she has 1,200 subscribers.
When she began The Lotto Report, Nettles would get packages of information from the Texas Lottery Commission for her publication, which included winning numbers for games, scratch ticket information and winners' stories.
In 2000, the Lottery Commission altered the matrix of the games, including Lotto Texas, creating larger jackpots. Nettles, who opposed the move, said that from 1997 to 2000, the commission underpaid 13 winners a total of $3 million. The Lottery Commission conducted an internal investigation based on Nettles' claims and concluded that it had followed policy. Nettles said after extensive review of the report that it was full of "half truths."
"After that, I began reporting every move they made and continue to this day," Nettles said. She started to post exact winnings on her website, which she says helps keep the Lottery Commission in check.
The commission declined to comment on Nettles' claim that it had underpaid winners.
"We are respectful of the opinions of members of the public regarding the Texas Lottery," the Lottery Commission said in an email.
Nettles follows lottery-related legislation and keeps tabs on the lottery's sales. She alerts legislators and news outlets when she suspects any foul play with payouts, game rule changes or advertised jackpots. In 2005, an investigation spurred by Nettles found that the lottery was advertising jackpots higher than ticket sales could support, a discovery that led to the resignation of the commission's executive director.
Nettles applied to be the lottery commission's executive director in 2005, though she acknowledged she was a long-shot candidate. "If I worked there, I wouldn't like me," she said. "I'm not always nice."
Nettles is nowquestioning the constitutionality of the lottery's newest game: Texas Triple Chance. She said the game does not meet Texas' constitutional definition of a lottery because the state could benefit if no individual won the grand prize.
The commission's media relations director, Kelly Cripe, said the game was "designed in the same manner as other draw games offered by the Texas Lottery."
State Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, is aiding an effort to look into the constitutionality of the game. His chief of staff, Don Forse, said that when the Legislature takes up lottery issues, information from Nettles is always included in briefing packets.
"She sure is committed to a unique pet project," Forse said.
Nettles says she has specific goals to meet before she would consider ending The Lotto Report.
"I will retire from my work the day that the Texas Lottery or the Texas Legislature instructs the Texas Lottery to make good on cheated winners," she said.
Texans need truth. Help us report it.
Our Fall Member Drive is underway, and we need your support. The Texas Tribune is a critical source of truth and information for Texans across the state and beyond — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Will you join as a member with a tax-deductible donation of any amount?Yes, I'll donate today


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text: The latest statistics published by German police show that telecommunications data retention has had no positive impact on the number of cases solved.Germany ceased the blanket collection of data last year after a court ruled that the European Union Data Retention Directive was unconstitutional. Despite this, the trend of decline in registered crime continued, prompting civil liberties groups to call for the directive to be scrapped across the E.U.Blanket telecommunications data retention had no statistically relevant effect on crime clearance trends either. The news comes as the European Data Protection Supervisor, an independent watchdog, called the directive unnecessary and disproportionate.The EDPS, Peter Hustinx, has frequently expressed his concerns related to the necessity of retaining data on such a large scale and has recently drawn the conclusion that the Data Retention Directive does not meet the requirements set out by the rights to privacy and data protection, primarily because the necessity for data retention has not been sufficiently demonstrated.Even after data retention ended in Germany, national police still achieved a clearance rate of nearly three out of four Internet offenses (71 percent) in 2010 according to the German Working Group on Data Retention, which heavily criticized the laws that affect all 500 million E.U. citizens, "98 percent of whom are never suspected of any wrongdoing.""In light of these new crime statistics, the irresponsible campaign of fear and continued scaremongering by some politicians after the annulment of the German data retention law finds no justification in reality," said Michael Ebeling of the German Working Group on Data Retention. "The truth is that with targeted investigations of suspects we live just as safely as we would with a policy of indiscriminate retention of all communications data. The endless exaggeration and emotionally charged descriptions of isolated cases combined with a massive media campaign is both misleading and unethical. In my view this is nothing less than a populist defence of the most privacy invasive and unpopular surveillance measure ever adopted by the E.U."The Commission is currently preparing a proposal to revise the Data Retention Directive, but is unwilling to drop the policy altogether.Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @BrusselsGeek or email tips and comments to firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
My Anritsu
Rollout of next-generation "5G" mobile services is set to start soon. 5G aims to provide on-demand services and applications at high speed and high reliability with low latency to multiple users simultaneously.
This document describes which technologies and measurements are needed to develop faster, low-latency mobile networks.
Achieving faster communications is the main issue for 4G networks today. As well as upgrading to faster and larger capacity, 5G networks also feature support for new network requirements using ultra-high-reliability low latency and multi-connectivity. Based on these features, 5G deployment is expected to be the foundation for new services, including IoT-based sensor business, self-driving automobiles, etc.
Implementing faster, large-capacity communications with ultra-high-reliability low latency over multiple simultaneous connections on the same communications network infrastructure not only requires 5G wireless interfaces but also requires major developments at the wired network side, particularly integration of the mobile fronthaul (MFH) and mobile backhaul (MBH).
The Anritsu Network Master Pro MT1000A is the ideal quality evaluation solution as mobile networks progress from 4G to 5G.
Key Points in Development from 4G to 5G Mobile Networks
5G mobile networks are developing from 4G mobile networks based on these types of new technologies. However, although these developments will not occur overnight, construction of future networks will emphasize upgradability to 5G.
In addition to conventional throughput and BER measurements, 5G mobile network evaluations will focus on eCPRI/RoE, high-accuracy latency, and time synchronization measurements. The MT1000A supports every measurement function required for 5G mobile network deployment.
Instead of using the conventional CPRI technology, 5G mobile networks are expected to adopt the eCPRI and RoE frame technologies. Naturally, the MT1000A supports BER communications tests and latency measurements using eCPRI and RoE frames.
Both BER and latency can be measured via the WDM circuit.
Installing the option supports simultaneous 25G eCPRI/RoE measurement at 2 ports.
The stipulated maximum one-way latency for 5G mobile networks is 100 µs. However, minimizing the latency of network devices is a key point because actual optical-fiber networks must reach speeds of 5 μs per km.
The one-way latency between two separate points can be measured using two MT1000A units.
In addition, the high-resolution and high-accuracy latency measurements required by the 5G mobile standards are supported by MT1000A options.
5G mobile networks perform time synchronization using PTP, and frequency synchronization using SyncE. Time synchronization evaluates whether the time difference (Time Error) from the distributed Grand Master Clock (GM) is within the permissible range, and plays a key role in overall network evaluation.
Installing the GPS Disciplined Receiver MU100090A with built-in high-accuracy rubidium clock in the MT1000A supports this time synchronization accuracy evaluation (Time Error measurement).


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Lia and her boyfriend, Seth, were doing research for an essay that was due the next day. They soon realized that they were missing a book that contained critical information needed to complete it. Fortunately, Seth's friend Mark had a copy of the book. Mark lived an hour away and after comforting Lia by reassuring her that his stepmom was really cool, Seth went to pick it up. Lia was curiously attracted to Mark's sexy stepmom, Brandi, so she crept around the house trying to find her. She wanted to get glimpse of Brandi's amazing hardbody but her plan went awry when she walked in the master bathroom and was caught red-handed by a naked horny stepmom who loves young pussy. Lia attempted to come up with an excuse as to why she was in the master bathroom when there were three other bathrooms but she was cut off mid sentence and pounced on by Brandi. Lia admitted that she was attracted to older women while she was getting her pretty pussy rubbed. Brandi had Lia wet and under her complete control so she took her into the bedroom and began tongue fucking her. Brandi was caught with her tongue in Lia's tight little asshole by her stepson who was in total shock. She immediately grabbed him and told him to man up, join the fun or leave. Soon after Seth realized that he was presented with an opportunity of a lifetime, he joined his stepmom and girlfriend in an all out orgy.
Lia Lor in Moms Bang Teens video: Soothing Sensation @ FreeNakedMilfs.com
July 14, 2014
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